Legend of Spyro and the Riders: New Beginnings
by BentleyGirl
Summary: A retelling of the Legend of Spyro trilogy with OC's. When a young human's village is destroyed by Cynder's armies, he journeys to the realms where he befriends a golden dragon and discovers his true destiny. Together with Spyro, they go on an adventure to save the Guardians and humans from Cynder's grasp. UPDATED! R and R. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Prologue

**This story came after several attempts to create my own Spyro race. Then I thought **_**why not just do Humans, but with a little extra?**_

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, etc.**

**So here…we…go!**

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><p><em>THE ANCIENT PAST<em>

_Thousands of years ago, in a world beyond the Realms, humans and dragons lived separate lives, unaware of each other's existence. Then one day, a human went exploring the forests by his village and stumbled upon a young dragon whose wing had been injured by the branches. The man took her back to the village. At first, the other villagers were frightened by this strange creature, but they were also amazed that the dragon could understand them and talk back._

_Over the next few weeks, the young man learned about the dragon's life and how the rest of her kind lived, and the dragon learned about how the humans lived. In time, the dragon recovered and flew back to the Dragon City, where the Elders asked her what had happened to her. She told them about the humans who healed her and where they lived. She led the Temple Guardians back to the village and they thanked the humans for helping her and invited them back to Warfang. The humans accepted and a new friendship was born._

_The humans and the dragons lived together, each lending their skills to the other. They hunted together, ate together, even went into battle together. One day, a human warrior injured his leg in battle and couldn't get up. One of the dragons found him and after much thought offered the human a lift back to Warfang on its back. The human accepted, climbed on and the two flew back to the Dragon City. The other humans and Dragon Elders were astonished by this incredible feat. Soon, a perfect alliance between human and dragon came to pass: the Dragon Riders._

_The Riders became the most powerful battle strategy in all of dragon history. Humans Riders fought to protect their Dragon steeds, and Dragons put their own lives on the line to save their Riders. Many battles were won thanks to this alliance. _

_Then after centuries of peace, the Dark Master came. He and his Dark Army of Apes swept across the Realms like a plague, spreading fear and destruction everywhere. His main target was the outlying human villages. The dragons and the Riders went into battle against the ruthless hordes, but sadly the Dark Master's armies had their own Riders; ones who rode Dreadwings instead of Dragons. Throughout the years, the Dark Armies swept across the realms, killing any being that stood in their way. But Humanity suffered the greatest casualities. _

_Eventually, the Elders managed to stop the Dark Master, trapping his spirit in a portal in Convexity. But the damage he caused was too great: the human population was all but wiped out. In attempt to save their species, the humans asked to leave the Dragon Realms and make a new home in a distant land. The Elders reluctantly agreed and so the humans, including the last Riders, built great boats and set sail across the sea, promising to return when the population was stable._

_Sadly, soon after they landed in the distant Broken Isles, the Riders became gravely ill and one by one passed away, taking the knowledge of the dragons to their graves. History became legend; legend became myth; and for several thousand years, humans forgot about the dragons and their promise_

_But the dragons never forgot the humans. Shortly after the humans left, two prophecies were foretold. One of them told of the birth of a special dragon that would change the face of the world; the other told that a human would befriend a very unusual dragon, become a Rider and restore the friendship between man and dragon._

_And so they waited…_

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><p><strong>Phew! I'm finished. And yes, Spyro won't be the only special dragon in this story.<strong>

**What will happen next? Well, wait and see.**


	2. The Night of Destiny

**Thanks to everyone who liked my idea. Now I can start my story. Sorry for the delay; I was trying to model my OC and it took longer than I thought.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, etc.**

**So here we go!**

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><p>Chapter 1: The Night of Destiny<p>

_In the Year of the Dragon, in a world beyond the Realms, I, like the others, awaited the birth of the dragon of whom the prophecies foretold. But the Dark Master knew the prophecies as well. I should have hidden the eggs long before, but I… I thought we were ready… I thought they'd be safe. Oh, how I was wrong…_

The silence in the Grotto was broken by a roar and the sound of burning flames. Then a large orange and red dragon entered the room. It was Ignitus, the Fire Guardian, checking on the eggs. He gazed across the room and sighed. Then he crossed over to a recumbent gold-coloured dragon fast asleep in a corner.

"Astral," he whispered, as he gently shook the dragon, "Astral, wake up."

With a groan and a yawn, the young dragon stirred and looked up. As she stood up, her features were revealed: two pairs of blue horns, blue-edged wings, a light-blue underbelly with a strange white sword-shaped marking and a tail that ended in a spear.

"What is it, Master Ignitus?" Astral murmured.

"You were sleeping on the job again, young dragon," the Fire Guardian scolded. "If I'd been an enemy, you would be dead by now."

"I'm sorry, Master," Astral sighed. "I guess I was a bit tired after all the training you put me through."

"That's quite alright," Ignitus smiled. Astral was a very unusual dragon. A few weeks ago, she'd discovered the power of Fire, which was strange because she wasn't a Fire Dragon. Later, Ignitus found out that she was a Golden Dragon, a creature even rarer than the prophesied Purple Dragon. He assumed that maybe Astral had other hidden abilities, so he invited her to the Temple to try and uncover them. But so far, she only knew Fire.

What was even stranger was the marking on Astral's chest. She had asked the Guardians what it was and why she had it, but they just hesitated slightly and said it was a birthmark. Astral suspected that her mark meant something more special, but they never told her what.

"Where are the other Guardians?" Astral asked as she stretched.

"Still keeping watch," Ignitus replied. "Who knows when the Armies will attack?"

Astral turned towards the pedestal overlooking the eggs, upon which lay a large purple egg. Ignitus looked too and they both approached the pedestal.

"Don't you think you should move the eggs to somewhere safer?" Astral asked. "I mean, my brother's egg is here too. They need complete security."

But before Ignitus could reply, the Grotto suddenly began to shake. The two dragons looked up and around in horror as a large yellow dragon came charging into the room.

"Volteer, what's happening?" Ignitus demanded.

"Save them," Volteer cried out. "The Dark Armies have come!"

"Oh no," Astral gasped. "What do we do, Master?"

"They mustn't get to the eggs," Ignitus cried, grabbing the purple egg. "Volteer, go warn Cyril and Terrador! You must try to hold them back. Astral, come with me!"

Together, the two dragons ran towards a back door, which Ignitus opened with his fire breath. Then they pelted down a passageway and emerged into the gardens, where they spread their wings and took to the sky. They flew over the mushroom forest, until they saw the Silver River and landed by the bank.

"What now, Master?" Astral gasped.

"Now, I will make sure this egg is safe," Ignitus panted. "Astral, you must keep going until you reach the sea."

"No, Master. I won't leave you."

"Listen to me, young dragon," the Fire Guardian cut in, staring into the young dragon's blue eyes. "If the Dark Master finds you and this egg, he'll destroy you both and prevent the prophecies from coming true. You must survive until you meet your partner, and this egg must survive until the hatchling's grown up. Only then will we have a chance against the Dark Master."

"My partner?" Astral asked confused.

Ignitus sighed and bowed his head. "Astral, I'm afraid the other Guardians and myself have not been completely honest with you. You see, that mark on your chest signifies a great destiny for you. You have been chosen to be the steed for the Dragon Rider."

Astral gasped in amazement. "You mean, the humans are still alive?" She remembered reading about the Dragons Riders of the past in the Temple's Archives.

"I saw them in the Pool of Visions. They live on the distant land of the Broken Isles, but they have forgotten about our past friendship. But this night, the human chosen to be the next Rider has received the same mark as you. It will be a long time still before he is truly ready for his destiny. Until then, you must stay alive. Understand?"

Astral still felt sad about leaving the Guardians, but she nodded. "I won't let you down, Master Ignitus."

"Good girl," Ignitus beamed. "Now go."

Reluctantly, Astral took off and flew downstream towards the sea. At the same time, Ignitus cut off the head of a small mushroom, placed the egg in the centre and pushed it into the river, where the currents swept it away.

Ignitus watched the two images disappearing into the night and called out, "May the Ancestors look after you. May they look after us all."

Then he took off and flew back towards the Temple, ready to help his fellow Guardians battle to protect the other eggs. But when he charged into the Grotto, he was too late…

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><p>At the same moment, on an island several miles away, a young human boy woke up with a cry of pain. His mother came rushing into his room.<p>

"Troy, what's wrong?" she asked.

"My arm," the little seven-year-old sobbed. "It hurts."

His mom took his left arm in her hands, rolled back the sleeve of his nightshirt and gasped. There on the lower limb was a strange red marking shaped like… a sword.

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><p><strong>Phew! Finished at last. So there you have it; my original character has been introduced. And just for the record, at this stage, she's the age Spyro will be when the story starts.<strong>

**So… you know what happens to Spyro, but what will happen to Astral and Troy? Wait and see.**


	3. Attack of the Apes

**So Chapter 2 and I can't think of anything to say.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, etc.**

**Anyway… Here we go.**

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><p>Chapter 2: Attack of the Apes<p>

_12 Years Later…_

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The sound of the blacksmith's hammer striking the anvil broke the silence of the morning. As usual, the smith was up before the dawn, stoking the fire and preparing his tools. Hearing footsteps at the door, he turned round and smiled at the young man standing in the doorway, his short brown hair all scruffy and his clothes crumpled showing that he had dressed in a hurry. "You're late again, Troy."

"I'm sorry, Ursus," the young man gasped, "I didn't hear the rooster and-"

"That's alright, lad," Ursus said. "Now you can get to work." He turned back to his hammer and then noticed the fire going out. "You can start by fetching more wood. Then afterwards, you can practice some more in the training arena."

"Yes, sir." Troy picked up the ax by the door and set off for the forest.

As he walked through the village, he waved to his mother, Cassandra, outside his hut. She smiled and waved back. Then he passed the barracks and waved to his older brother, Orion, who was sword fighting with the other soldiers. Orion simply nodded.

Soon Troy had reached the edge of the woods and looked out over the village, on the coastline of the sea. When he was young, he sometimes wondered what was out there beyond the horizon, what new lands awaited those who sailed up there. But when he asked the others, they told him that out there was nothing but ocean and danger, and warned him never to go out there. But still, Troy wondered until he turned 14, when he just forgot about it.

Troy then entered the forest and kept going until he reached a clearing. Using the ax, he cut down some of the young saplings, and then rolled up his sleeves before starting to cut the trees into logs. As he did, the mark on his left arm caught his eye. The strange scar, shaped like a sword, had been there since that night as a seven year old. When his mother asked the elders about it the following day, they didn't say a word and simply dismissed it. Troy thought that perhaps, this mark meant he was destined for something great, but the other children laughed at him. Even Orion told him not to let his imagination run too wild.

In fact, the only two people who ever believed in him, were his mother, Cassandra, and Ursus. His mother was the first to discover Troy's strange mark, and even though the elders denied its relevance, she believed that perhaps it was a sign of an unknown destiny for her son. As for Ursus, he was certain that Troy would be a great warrior. Sometimes, he took Troy away to a secret training area and allowed him to practice sword-fighting and other combat skills, preparing him for when he was ready to join the barracks.

As Troy finished cutting the logs, a glint of metal caught his eye. He turned towards a larger tree and ran up to it. There, hidden in a hole beneath the roots, was a large sword. "Wow," he breathed, pulling it out of the roots. "How do you get in here?"

Tentatively, he drew the sword out of its scabbard. The blade gleamed in the sunlight, and was quite sharp as Troy found out when he ran his hand along it and cut his fingertips on it. A dragon's head and wings formed the hilt of the sword, with red jewels set in the eyes, with the pommel forming the dragon's tail. It was unlike any sword he'd ever seen before.

"Wait till Ursus sees this beauty," he whispered, sheathing it and placing it on his belt. Then he picked up the logs and the ax, and set off back to the village.

As he reached the edge of the forest, he suddenly heard noises: shrieking cries, human yells and the clash of metal. Dropping the logs, he ran out of the woods and took in the horrible sight before him: the village was under attack!

The soldiers were fighting strange creatures: they looked like large apes, some larger than others. The biggest of them all was standing by some massive boats, bigger than any of the village's fishing boats.

"Keep fighting," the captain of the soldiers yelled. "This is what we were trained to do!"

"We've never fought monsters like these before," Orion protested.

The monster ape gave out commands to the other apes, then he called up to another who was still on the boat. The smaller ape ran up to a brazier at the back, and lit it sending a large billowing trail of smoke into the sky.

Suddenly, a loud roar rang out, shaking the very heavens. Several human soldiers dropped their weapons in fright and looked up. Then, with a whoosh of wings, a massive black shadow burst through the smoke. It was a dragon, black as the night, with horns that surrounded its head like a collar. As she flew overhead, it breathed a stream of fire onto the village, setting it alight. Ursus's smithy were among the buildings destroyed. Then it landed amongst the village, sending a wave of panic amongst the citizens.

"I am Cynder," the dragon snarled in an icy, feminine voice, "General of the Dark Armies. I have come to conquer these islands, the last remnant of freedom in the Realms. You will surrender to me and become my slaves."

"Never!" the soldiers' captain cried out. "This is our home! I won't allow a big dragon like you to think she can-" His speech was cut short as the apes' leader thrust his sword into his back. The villagers gasped in horror as the captain fell to the ground dead.

"Anyone else got something to say?" the ape growled as he pulled his sword out.

Nobody spoke and the rest of the soldiers dropped their weapons to the ground.

"Wisely done," Cynder snarled. "Gaul, take them to the ships."

"Yes, my lady," the ape growled and he roared at the smaller apes, who surrounded the villagers and began herding them like sheep towards the beach.

Cynder then turned to three of the medium-sized Apes. "Search the village. There's one human child with a mark like a sword. He must not be allowed to leave this island. Find him and kill him!"

"Yes, General Cynder!" the Apes replied and they set off into the remains of the village.

With a smile on her face, Cynder took to the air and flew back over the sea.

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><p>Meanwhile, in a swamp on the mainland, a young purple dragon was playing with his brother.<p>

"...Eight, nine, ten! Here I come!" He spun round to look just as a glowing yellow light zipped past his head. He chuckled as he recognized it as his brother Sparx, the dragonfly born the same day as him and grew up with.

"Never catch me this time, purple boy!" Sparx called out.

The dragon, whose name was Spyro, charged after the dragonfly, chasing him across the swamp and narrowly dodging the Frogweed that grew around until Sparx ducked into a large stone head.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Spyro yelled. "We're not allowed in there!"

"Oh, pffft, excuses, excuses," Sparx snorted. "Catch up or give up, chunky!"

As Sparx set off down the tunnel, Spyro smashed his way through the head and set off after him. At last, they came out into a large clearing.

"You know," Sparx sighed. "This is getting a little boring-" But then a large ape leapt out of the clearing, grabbed Sparx, stuffed him in a small cage and ran off.

"SPARX!" Spyro yelled as he ran after him.

He caught up to the ape as he jumped onto a ledge where smaller apes were waiting. Then the ape turned to look at Spyro and growled, "I thought all you guys was gone!"

"You miserable coward, let me go!" Sparx yelled from the cage.

The ape then turned to his lackeys. "Don't let him get away!"

As the apes jumped down, Spyro glared angrily at them. Then he charged forward and smashed one ape in the chest, knocking it back. Another ape slashed his back with its claws but he just tripped it up with his tail. Then the larger apes threw down a stick of dynamite but Spyro grabbed it in his jaws and flung it out at two of the apes, seconds before it exploded.

"Let me outta here and fight me like a... thing, whatever you are, you pathetic wretch!" Sparx yelled.

With a growl, the larger ape leapt down, flung the cage to the ground and and raised his foot. "I've had enough of you!"

"Sparx, look out!" Spyro yelled in alarm. "NOOOOOOOAAARGGGH!" Suddenly, a jet of flames shot out from his mouth, searing the larger ape and sending him back.

"Whoa, was that fire, dude?" Sparx breathed.

The larger ape ran off, yelling to his remaining troops, "Take care of him, I gotta report to Cynder!"

As the apes drew closer, Spyro reared up on his hind legs and swung a paw out, knocking one ape back. Then he turned on the rest and shot out another jet of flames, taking them out.

"Get me outta here, Spyro!" Sparx shouted. "I think my wings are singed."

Spyro approached the cage and with one swing of his head, smashed the door open. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay," Sparx scowled as he flew out. "You almost torched me, dude! Wait... YOU BREATHED FIRE!"

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><p>Back on the Broken Isles, Troy emerged from the forest and entered the ruins of the village. After seeing the monstrous dragon attacking his home, he had retreated into the forest and hid until the sounds of battle had died down. Now he took in the sights of death and destruction all around him. To some relief, he couldn't see his mother or brother amongst the dead, and then he heard a weak voice calling out from the burning wreckage, "Troy? Troy, is that you?"<p>

Troy ran towards the voice and moved some of the wreckage aside… to reveal a badly burned, but very familiar figure. "Master Ursus," he breathed.

"Troy," Ursus groaned. "Thank the Ancestors… you're safe. Those apes are… looking for you…"

"Me?" Troy asked, confused. "Why would they be looking for me?"

"Your mark," the blacksmith gasped. "They said something about… finding the child with the sword mark. Do you know… what this means, Troy?"

The young man nodded. "You and Mom were right, maybe I _am _special…" He gasped. "Mom! Where is she?"

"She's safe… she and Orion were among those… taken to the ships…" Then Ursus pointed the sword on Troy's belt. "Where did you get that?"

"I found it in the woods." Troy unsheathed it and showed it to his master.

"Beautiful," Ursus sighed. "The craftmanship is amazing!" Then he gasped in horror. "Look out, behind you!"

Troy whirled round and saw three large Apes approaching them.

"Well, well," one of the Apes grunted. "Looks like we found you at last, Dragon Rider."

"What?" Troy asked. "Dragon Rider, what do you mean?"

"Don't play games with me, boy," the Ape snapped. "You bear the sword mark. You will never leave here alive!"

"Troy… remember your training!" Ursus called out weakly. "Don't let them… take you!"

With a nod, Troy raised his sword and turned to face the Apes. "Come and get me, fleabags!"

The Apes charged forwards, raising their hands and swiping down with sharp claws. Troy ducked one swing, but another one knocked him to the ground. The third Ape swung his claws down, but Troy acted quickly and blocked the blow with his sword before kicking the Ape back and jumping to his feet. Angrily the Ape bared his teeth and ran forward. Troy raised his sword and swung it out, catching the Ape on his chin and sending him flying back, blood leaking from his throat.

Troy stared in horror at what had happened, but before he could speak, the other Apes charged him. Without thinking, Troy swung round and thrust the sword into one Ape's chest, killing him instantly. The second Ape knocked him back with his claws but Troy quickly recovered and punched the Ape back then he pulled his sword out of the dead Ape and swung it out, taking off the Ape's head in a single blow.

Ursus watched the scene with absolute astonishment. "Well done, Troy!"

Panting for breath, Troy stared around at the motionless Apes. "I've… I've killed them." Tears formed in his eyes as he wiped the blood from his sword. "I've never killed anything in my life."

"Troy… listen to me," Ursus interrupted. "If you hadn't killed those monsters… they would have killed you. Fighting for your safety… as well as the safety of your friends and family… is worth any battle you will face…" He broke off with a painful gasp.

"Master!" Troy cried out, dropping to his knees and grabbing Ursus.

"Cynder," Ursus groaned. "She... burned my store and... singed my body. I'm done for."

"Don't say that," Troy sobbed, tears trickling down his face. "What should I do?"

"Troy… you must leave this place."

"What do you mean, leave?"

"Listen to me," Ursus gasped, staring into his apprentice's eyes. "Your family's still alive out there. You must… You must follow that dragon across the sea… to the distant Realms beyond… Stop her at all costs…. Do it… for the village… for all of us…" With a gasp, Ursus closed his eyes and his body fell limp.

Tears streaking his face, Troy hugged his master close to his body and wept openly.

For the rest of the night, Troy went around the remains of his village, burying the dead and praying to the Ancestors for guidance and safety. Then, too upset to get to sleep, he took one of the boats and set sail for the lands beyond the sea. What awaited for him there, he did not know…

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><p>In the swamp, Spyro and Sparx came home and told their parents about what had happened.<p>

"So I was just about ready to blow the top of that place and kick that guy's booty," Sparx said, "when Spyro let loose with some serious flame dude. No joke, flames... from the mouth."

Spyro looked hurt. "Well, I-I was just trying to help."

"Some help, you could have burnt my wings off," Sparx scoffed. "Mom, Dad, you should have seen it. He came out breathing FIRE! Okay, I'm telling you it's crazy."

The father, Flash cast a worrying glance at his wife, Nina.

"You don't believe me?" Sparx asked. "Spyro, tell him."

"It's true, Dad, I swear," Spyro admitted sheepishly. "I just got real mad, opened my mouth and WHOOSH! Flame city."

"It's not that, Spyro, I believe you both," Flash replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's just... your mother and I knew this day would come."

"What day?" Spyro asked.

"The day when we would have to tell you the truth..."

So between them, Flash and Nina told Spyro about how one day, twelve years ago, they were flying along the Silver River when they came across a small mushroom head with a purple egg and when they went to investigate, the egg hatched and a small purple creature came out. At first, they were frightened of this thing but then they became amazed and astonished. After a quick discussion, they finally decided to adopt this creature and raise it as their own. So they led it back to their home in time to see Sparx hatch and brought them up together. They finished by saying that they named the creature Spyro.

When they'd finished, Spyro was shocked. "So... you mean I'm not your real son?"

"You are our real son," Nina reassured. "It's just that you came from somewhere else, far away where wars rage on and on and the innocent seem to always pay the price."

Spyro thought about that story all night and the next morning he decided to leave the swamp and try to find his true home.

As he reached the edge of the swamp, his family came to wish him off.

"So that's it, huh?" Sparx scowled. "Leaving Sparx behind at the old homestead, not a care in the world, don't look back..."

Spyro turned to face his brother. "This is your home, Sparx, but I just found out that my home is out there somewhere and I gotta find it. Besides, I'm not leaving you behind, I'm just leaving you where you belong."

"Well, I always thought I belonged with you, because I'm always with you," Sparx retorted. "But I guess I was wrong, huh? I'm sure I'm wrong about a lot of things, you know what, you're right I'm wrong." And he buzzed off with out a word.

"Don't listen to him, Spyro," Flash comforted. "You know how hotheaded he can be. You'll see him when you get back."

Spyro nodded with a loud sniff.

"Now, now, son," Flash murmured, patting Spyro's horn. "Keep your head up, your nose clean, and use that breath of yours wisely. All gifts come with a price."

"Don't listen to your father's preaching, Spyro," Nina chuckled, lifting the young dragon's chin up. "Just be yourself. It's all any of us can do."

With a solemn nod, Spyro turned and, hard as it was, left the only home he'd ever known and journeyed on, to where he did not know...

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><p><strong>Finished at last! Wow, that was tough, especially the death scene.<strong>

**So what dangers lie in wait for Troy? What is his true destiny? (As if you didn't know.) Well, wait and see….**


	4. Fights, Flights and Fateful Sights

**Here we are at Chapter 3 and soon the two stories will combine.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, etc.**

**So without further ado…**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Fights, Flights and Fateful Sights<p>

All through the night, Troy sailed across the ocean, heading for shores unknown. The voyage was quite uneventful, but at last, as the sun rose into the sky, Troy spotted some gulls soaring above, which meant land was close by. Looking to the horizon, he saw trees unlike any he'd ever seen before, and large cliffs hunkering by the beach like a crouching beast. As the boat crunched onto the sand, Troy leapt off and glanced around.

"Where are they?" he wondered out loud. No matter where he looked, he couldn't see any sign of Cynder or the apes' boats. "They must be nearby. Better get going." With that, Troy set off into the forest.

After a few hours walking, he entered a clearing and was just about to move off when he heard a whoosh of wings and a loud familiar roar. He gasped in horror and ran into a nearby cavern to hide. He paused in the shadows to catch his breath, but then a low growl reached his ears.

"Who… who's there?" he stammered.

As he started to turn, Troy was suddenly struck in the chest and thrown back out the cave. As he lay winded, a large creature stepped out of the shadows. It was a dragon, but this one was slightly smaller than Cynder and golden instead of black, with a light blue underbelly. It had two pairs of horns, one pair curved back on top of its head and the other pair on its cheeks. Its wings were blue like its belly, and its tail ended in a point like an arrowhead.

"What are you doing here?" the dragon snarled, in a feminine voice unlike Cynder's. "Who are you? Are you working for the Apes?"

"What? No!" Troy cried out, getting to his feet. "I'm not working with any Apes! I'm just looking for my-"

"SILENCE!" The dragon's roar cut out his words. "Those Ape monsters have been hounding me for years, trying everything they can to kill me. Now they're resorting to using such pathetic means as this. Well, it won't work! Prepare to DIE!"

Suddenly, the dragon pounced forward, teeth bared. Troy stumbled back and reached out for his sword, but the dragon grabbed hold of his arm. Troy gasped as he felt her teeth sinking into his flesh and he quickly punched her eye with his free hand. She pulled back in alarm, ripping the sleeve of his shirt, but she recovered quickly and opened her mouth. Troy closed his eyes and raised his arms, expecting to hear the roar of flames and feel the heat on his body…

Nothing happened.

Cautiously, Troy forced one eye open and lowered his hands to look. The dragon was just staring in amazement, her mouth still open.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"That mark on your arm," the dragon whispered. "Where did you get it?"

Troy looked at his ripped sleeve, which was exposing the sword-shaped scar on his lower arm. "This? I've had it for years. Why do you ask?"

"Look." The dragon raised herself to her full height and there on her chest was a small white marking, shaped exactly like Troy's. "I got one too."

Troy gasped in awe. "How is that…?"

"Possible?" she finished. "I don't know. Wait a second…" She paused and furrowed her brow in thought, then she gasped, "You're my partner!"

"What?"

"Master Ignitus was right! By the Ancestors, you're my Rider! The prophecy has come true!"

"Hold on, hold on," Troy cried out. "What are you talking about? Who's Ignitus? What does 'Rider' mean? What prophecy?!"

"You mean you don't know?" The dragon then frowned. "Oh, of course not. Master Ignitus said that your kind had forgotten our history."

"What history?"

The dragon sighed. "Listen, human-"

"My name's Troy," the young man interrupted.

"Right. Listen, Troy, you must come with me, back to the Temple. The Guardians will explain everything to you there."

"I can't," Troy replied. "I have to find my family and friends. Cynder took them away somewhere and-"

"Cynder?" the dragon asked. "Who's that?"

"You don't know who Cynder is?" Troy cried. "She told my people she'd conquered the Realms. She's the one who's leading the Apes."

"WHAT?" she gasped in horror. "Oh no, that means that… it's too late…" A tear trickled down her nose.

Feeling great pity, Troy reached out a hand and stroked the dragon's side. "Hey, don't cry. Listen, maybe the others are still alive somewhere; there's still hope."

She sniffed and nodded. "Ok, you may be right. I mustn't lose hope."

"Atta girl," Troy smiled. "Tell you what, dragon; I'll help you find the Guardians, if you help me find my family, deal?'

"Deal," she agreed. "And by the way, my name's Astral, not dragon."

"Ok, Astral, how far is it to the Temple?"

"Quite a long way if you walk," Astral replied, "but it's quicker to fly there."

"But _I_ can't fly," Troy noted. "How can I possibly get there?"

"Good question." Astral then crouched on the ground and lowered her wings. "Climb on."

Troy stared in alarm. "You've got to be kidding me."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in the swamps, Spyro was still making his way when he heard a voice calling to him. "Spyro!"<p>

He turned round and saw a glowing yellow light approaching. "Sparx?"

"Hey there," Sparx replied as he slowed down. "So me and the old man were chatting and this whole belonging thing came up and we decided that best friends belong together, even if one of them is purple and does have some weight issues."

"Weight issues, huh?" Spyro murmured. "At least I've never been turned into a lantern."

"Oh please, lantern shmantern," Sparx scoffed. "Let's see what's out there."

So the two friends set off into the mushroom forest. Spyro quickly found his fire breath was handy in keeping the Frogweeds away. Soon they reached a small clearing but before they could rest, there was a loud whoosh of wings followed by a terrifying roar. With screams of terror, they ran across the clearing.

"Breath, Sparx old boy," the dragonfly yelped. "Go to your happy place!"

They kept running until they reached the entrance to a cave and then stopped to catch their breath.

"What in the world was that?" Spyro panted.

"I don't know," Sparx gasped, pointing towards the cave. "But I'm going this way, far from it."

With a nod, Spyro set off after his friend into the cave. They hadn't gone far when they came across a large red dragon who reared up to his full height as they approached.

Spyro stared in alarm and Sprax just gulped. "And I thought you were a big one. Goodness..."

The dragon glanced down at Spyro and gasped. "You're... you're alive!" Then he let out a sigh. "But it's too late... too late..."

"Too late for what?" Spyro asked. "Who are you? Do you know me? Where do I come from? What are you? _What are we? WHAT AM I?!_"

The dragon frowned. "You mean you don't know?"

"Does it sound like he knows?" Sparx asked.

"You're a dragon," the larger dragon replied. "When you were just an egg, it was my job to protect you... It was my job... to protect all of you."

"There are others?" Spyro asked.

"Others? There were," the dragon answered wearily. "There were four of us, Guardians that is, and we had one job: ensure all the eggs were hatched. It was the Year of the Dragon after all and our very survival depended on those eggs, but the Temple and Grotto are now gone... overrun by-"

"Temple? What Temple?" Spyro cut in. "Can you take me? Can I see it? Where I came from, I mean?"

"No, no," the Guardian sighed. "Who knows what forces occupy the Temple now, what state it's in... You don't understand. After they came for you and-"

"They?" Spyro interrupted again. "Who is they and why did they come for me?"

The dragon looked up at the cave ceiling. "Because one of the prophecies spoke of a purple dragon, a dragon born only once every ten generations... You."

"You? Does that mean him?" Sparx cried out. "Wait, this guy Spyro some special once in a purple thing?" He burst out laughing. "I think you might have mixed that one up. Wooo, that's a little bit of a stretch. I've heard some doozies in my day, but that one takes the cake."

"Spyro, is it?" the dragon asked. "Well, Spyro, I assure you I'm telling the truth. The Dark Armies attacked, intent on destroying the eggs and killing the rest of us. They nearly succeeded and then they laid siege on the other islands. We were at war..."

Spyro and Sparx swapped nervous looks as the Guardian continued, "For many years, we fought all over the islands, brutal clashes with the armies of the Dark Master who was intent on preventing the prophecies from coming true. The other three Guardians led our small but valiant forces into battle after battle against our ruthless, mercenary. And when we were beginning to turn the tide... Cynder came."

Spyro gulped nervously. "Cynder?"

"Yes, Cynder," the dragon scowled. "Cynder was... is... monstrous, horrific, ferocious, a black dragon that fills the skies with terror, an unstoppable force of nature..."

"Uh, yeah, you had me at ferocious," Sparx muttered. "Listen, sound like that thing that was chasing us, Spyro."

"Yes, she still searches for me," the Guardian agreed. "And years ago, I watched as Cynder plucked the other Guardians from the fields of battle, like so many ripe grapes from a vine. Without them, our cause was lost. Only I, Ignitus, managed to escape, not that it matters. Cynder now rules all and I sit here wondering what might have been, what else I might have done..."

"Wow, sounds fun," Sparx stated. "I wanna hang out with this guy."

"Yeah, why have you given up?" Spyro shouted. "I just find out that I'm this special dragon and you tell me all is lost, that I have no home or family left? I've come way too far to give up now. I wanna see where I come from."

"Hold up, saviour boy, were you not listening to this guy?" Sparx cut in. "He's talking about flying dragons and war and horrible... this is bad stuff, alright? I don't know if we're hearing the same thing."

"Yes, Spyro, it's not that easy," Ignitus agreed. "It's true one of the prophecies spoke of a purple dragon destined to put his stamp on this age, but the prophecies didn't foretell the devastation that surrounds us now."

"Maybe you're right," Spyro replied. "But I'm willing to try. I want to take the first step."

Sparx stared at him in bafflement. "You're actually gonna go along with this lunatic?"

Ignitus thought for a moment then nodded and turned around. "Very well, we'll go. You deserve to see your beginning before it all ends."

Spyro set off after him while Sparx followed behind, calling, "Am I the only one sane here? He's telling us we're doomed, alright? That's when I go, ah maybe we should head back into the forest with the flowers and the fun stuff..."

* * *

><p>At that moment, two others were heading for the Temple too, but by air. Astral was soaring through the skies above the trees, enjoying the feel of the wind in her face. It had been so long since she'd stretched her wings and she loved every minute of her flight. Troy, however, wasn't so happy. In fact, he was clinging on to Astral's neck with his eyes closed and his legs digging into her side.<p>

"WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?" he screamed.

"It's what Dragon Riders are supposed to do," Astral laughed. "Come on, Troy, open your eyes. Take a look around."

Troy's eyes snapped open and he glanced around nervously. But soon his fears subsided as he took in the sights. "Whoa," he gasped in awe. "This is just… amazing."

"Told you so." Then Astral looked up. "There it is."

Troy looked too. A large building had appeared on the horizon, the spires poking up above the giant mushrooms. A balcony poked out the side, overlooking the river below.

"That's the Temple?" he asked.

"That's it," Astral nodded, gently so as not to shake Troy off. "Hold on, I'll land in the gardens over there."

She turned slightly and flew toward a small clearing, where she spread her wings out and alighted gently on the ground.

Troy jumped off and stumbled backwards. "That was freaky… but awesome!"

"Yeah, it was pretty cool," Astral agreed. "Come on, let's get going."

She led Troy up to a pair of large doors and lit a nearby torch with her fire breath. The doors opened and the unlikely pair entered the passageway. Soon they reached a large room and were greeted by a small group of Apes led by a larger one.

"Look, boys," the leader growled, "a dragon. Go get it!"

"Watch out, Troy," Astral shouted.

One of the smaller Apes ran forward and pounced, but Astral knocked it back with a smack of her head, before rearing up and slashing it with her claws. Another Ape dashed up and swiped at Troy, but he quickly unsheathed his sword and plunged it into the Ape's heart. At the same time, Astral shot a fireball from her jaws which took out the others.

Angrily, the leader charged forward, smashing into Astral and knocking her down. Troy raised his sword and blocked the Ape's claws, then he swung it round, but the monstrous monkey dodged aside. But then, a blast of flame sent it flying straight into Troy's sword. With a cry of agony, the Ape collapsed to the ground.

Astral stood up and limped over to Troy. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he panted. "Thanks, Astral." Then he noticed the scratches on her side. "You're hurt."

"I'll be fine," Astral said. "There's a Spirit Gem over there." She pointed to a large crystal cluster near the Apes' bodies.

"What is that?" Troy asked as they approached the crystal.

"This is a gift from the Ancestors," Astral explained. "Whenever dragons break these Gems, it replenishes our health and gives extra strength to our breaths." So saying, she smashed into the cluster, breaking it into small glowing pieces which were quickly absorbed into her body.

"That's incredible," Troy gasped.

"Indeed," Astral agreed. "Come on, we should get going."

Soon they reached another pair of doors, but just as they were about to enter, Astral stopped.

"Shhh," she whispered. "There's something on the other side. Listen."

Troy placed his ear to the door and listened. Sure enough, he could hear footsteps on the other side and then the sound of doors opening. Then a voice, tired and old: "Ahhh… home sweet home."

Astral gasped. "I know that voice."

Before Troy could say anything, she charged through the doors into a room she recognized: a large hallway with overgrown grass surrounding a small green pool, and there, standing by an open doorway, was a huge reddish dragon.

The larger dragon turned around and gasped in amazement. "Astral… you're alive!"

Astral bowed her head down, tears streaming down her face. "Master Ignitus, it's been so long," she sobbed.

"It certainly has, my apprentice," Ignitus smiled. "Tell me, have you found your partner?"

"I have," she replied and turned her head back to where Troy was standing. "Show him the mark on your arm."

Troy obeyed and Ignitus gasped again. "Then the prophecies were true. Come closer, human. Let me see you properly."

The young man slowly stepped forward, but then a flash of purple shot into the Grotto, knocking Troy over and pinning him to the ground. Astral stared in astonishment. It was a young dragon, with purple scales, yellow horns and underbelly, orange wings and a tail ending in a flattened leaf-shaped point.

"Who are you?" the newcomer snarled. "How did you get in here?"

"Let him go, Spyro," Ignitus called out. "He's not one of the Apes. He's harmless."

"That thing, harmless?" a new voice rang out, seemingly from nowhere. "Look at him, he's got a great big sword. He could have hurt someone with that."

"I don't think so, Sparx," Spyro said slowly. "There's something in his eyes that tell me he's trustworthy." He released his grip on Troy. "Are you?"

"Yes, I am," Troy gasped, getting to his feet. "Just ask Astral over there."

Spyro turned and looked at the golden dragon. "Wow, you look… beautiful."

"It's you," Astral breathed. "By the Ancestors, you're still alive!"

She dashed forward and grabbed the young dragon in a hug, which surprised everyone, even Troy. "What's going on here?"

"It's quite simple, young human," Ignitus explained. "You see… Spyro is actually Astral's little brother."

* * *

><p><strong>And… rest. That was tough, but hopefully rewarding.<strong>

**So, Troy's met Astral, they reached the Temple and met Ignitus and Spyro. Oh, and Astral's Spyro's older sister. Didn't see that coming did ya?**

**Anyway… what lies in store for our heroes next? Wait and see.**


	5. Training Days

**So here we are at Chapter 4, and things are getting good now. Spyro, Troy and Astral's first missions will begin.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, etc.**

**So let's begin again.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Training Days<p>

As Troy followed the dragons through the Training Dojo towards the balcony, his mind was rushing with thoughts from earlier. When Astral finally broke her hug with Spyro, they all swapped stories. Troy told the dragons about how his home was destroyed by Cynder and the Apes, and how he came to the Realms to find his family. Spyro then told of how his egg was discovered by dragonflies, of the day he breathed fire to save his brother, Sparx, the dragonfly who's now with him (and who Troy now realized was the voice who insulted him), and of how he helped Ignitus take back the Temple.

Then the Fire Guardian told Astral about what had happened after she flew to safety; how the Dark Armies laid siege to the Realms, how he and the other Guardians led their army into battle, how Cynder appeared and kidnapped the other Guardians and how he managed to escape and went into hiding. Then he explained to Troy the histories of the Dragon Riders, of the humans' decision to leave, of the prophecies of the purple dragon, and also that Troy is in fact a human destined to restore the relationships between humans and dragons. Now he was leading the little convoy out to see the damage.

As they stepped outside into the dying rays of the sunset, Sparx flew up and took a look round. "Spyro, we're not in Kansas anymore."

Spyro, Astral and Troy looked ahead and their faces fell a mile. All around the mushroom forest, the ruins of many buildings were spread out as far as their eyes could see. "What happened here?" Astral breathed.

"This is what Cynder has done," Ignitus answered gravely, "put all the islands under her iron rule."

"I wanted to see where I came from," Spyro sighed, "but I didn't know it was going to be like this."

"Yeah, no offense," Sparx interjected, "but this place is kind of a dump."

"This is awful," Troy cried out. "I had no idea how bad it was out here."

Ignitus bowed his head and sighed. "This was once our home, young ones." Then he looked up with a more determined look on his face. "Together we can make it our home once again… Reclaim what's rightfully ours."

Spyro looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that my time for heroics has passed," Ignitus replied, "but with your help, and that of Troy and Astral, we might be able to beat Cynder."

"I'm ready for this, Master," Astral said seriously.

Spyro however turned away and shook his head. "I, I can't, Ignitus. I just learned what I am."

"I'm not sure I can either," Troy sighed. "This is all so sudden. I only imagined I was destined for greatness, but this is for real now. I don't know if I can do this."

"You can, young boys, you can," Ignitus encouraged. "Spyro, you are a purple dragon, a very special creature… And Troy, you and Astral wear the mark of a Dragon Rider; you're already destined for greatness… You two have given me hope again, and now it's time to give hope to all of them, dragon and human alike."

"Besides, Troy," Astral added, "you fought well against those Apes in the garden. Alone, you were amazing, but if we work together, then nothing will stand in our way."

The young human turned and smiled. "Ok. I'll do it, not just for my family, but for the Realms."

Spyro looked back round at the group. "I'm not sure what help I can be to you all, but I'll try…" Then his face became serious and he finished more determinedly, "I'll try."

"Good," Ignitus beamed. "That's all I can ask. Now let's get some sleep, we have so much to do tomorrow."

* * *

><p>The next morning, during a breakfast of deer and fruit, Ignitus called Troy aside, and took him into the Grotto. Climbing onto a raised platform at the back, the Fire Guardian placed a paw on the wall, whispered a phrase Troy couldn't understand and a hidden door slid open. Ignitus then passed through and Troy followed. "Where are we going?"<p>

Ignitus lit a torch on the wall with his flames then set off down the passage. "Several weeks before Astral came to the Temple, some dragons made a discovery in the Shattered Vale. They found some relics of the old Ages, when humans and dragons still lived together. Your sword was among those, but I sent a dragon to take it to where your people lived in the hopes that Astral's partner would find it."

"Wait," Troy said. "You knew we were on the Broken Isles. How?"

"All in good time, young human," Ignitus replied. "When we realized the significance of the relics, we had a special room built here to hide them. And now, Troy…" He paused as he reached another door, pushed it open and stood to one side. "Now is the time they would see the light again."

Troy passed through the doorway… and gasped in amazement. He was standing in a large room full of ancient armour. There was a suit of silver human-sized armour, with a shield emblazoned with the symbol of a dragon's head, and some larger pieces made for a dragon roughly Astral's size: a helmet of polished gold, some leg bracers and a tail-guard. But the largest piece of armour was what Troy admired most: a back plate with a saddle carved on it.

"Is that what the Riders and their dragons wore?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yes, Troy," Ignitus replied. "And it is what you and Astral will be wearing if others are to know who you are; to bring hope to the good and spread fear amongst the evil. While I train Spyro on using his Fire breath, I want you to get accustomed to this armour. It will be important if you are to face Cynder and her army."

Troy nodded, picked up some of the dragon armour and left the room. When he reached the Grotto, he almost bumped into Spyro and Astral who were waiting in the room.

"What's all this?" the gold dragon asked.

"It's your armour, Astral," Ignitus explained as he emerged behind Troy, carrying the rest of the relics on his back. "You and Troy will be learning the skills necessary to becoming a Dragon Rider team."

"Cool!" she cried.

"And Spyro," the Fire Guardian turned to the smaller dragon, "I want you to follow me to the Dojo; I have something for you."

"Alright," Spyro smiled, following Ignitus. "See you, Troy, big sis."

"You too, little brother," Astral nodded. "Come on, Troy, let's practice in the garden."

Once outside, Troy tried on the suit of armour, which fitted perfectly, and then practiced his swordplay on some mushroom spiders. Astral meanwhile found the dragon armour a snug fit, and she flew overhead to see how comfortable it was in the air.

After a while, Astral landed next to Troy. "This armour is great! So aerodynamic…"

"Let's see if I can fit on that saddle," Troy said.

With a nod, Astral lay down and lowered her wings. Troy sheathed his sword then climbed onto Astral's back and settled into the saddle. He quickly found the saddle to be much comfier than when he had ridden Astral bareback. There were special stirrups on each side so that when Troy put his feet in, he wouldn't fall off if Astral flew too fast, and two handles on the plate allowed him to cling on tight, but he could still fight with his sword if need be.

"Okay," Astral declared, getting to her feet. "Time to see how we fare in the sky!"

With that, she spread her wings and took off into the air. Troy clung onto the handles as she soared high above the Temple. "This is awesome!"

"You ready for some airborne combat?" Astral called.

"Of course," Troy replied. "If I want to help in this battle, I have to learn."

"Alright, let's begin!"

Suddenly, several figures appeared before them in midair.

"Whoa!" Troy gasped, almost slipping off. "Where did they come from?"

"Don't worry," Astral chuckled. "They're not real. They're just training dummies we normally use in the Dojo. We just imagine the scenario we'll face in combat, and the dummies will appear."

Troy felt reassured as he took out his sword. "Alright, what do I do?"

"As soon as I get close, take them down. Then on the next stage, they'll be moving fast, but I'll slow them down with my Fireballs then you can stop them."

And so the training began. At first, Troy didn't do as well as he hoped, for each time he thought he was within range, the dummies would zip right past him. But soon he'd studied their patterns and was able to take them out with relative ease. The next stage was a bit easier, though sometimes Troy would accidentally burn himself by getting too close. But at last Troy and Astral had completely mastered airborne combat.

By the time they'd landed back in the garden, evening was beginning to fall and they made their way back inside the Temple.

"That was so cool," Troy declared.

"Don't get too cocky," Astral warned. "The real battles will be a lot more difficult than this. But yeah, it was pretty sweet."

They returned to the Dojo in time to see Spyro mastering his Fire Fury, taking out a large horde of wooden dummies.

"Whoa," Troy gasped.

Ignitus smiled. "Indeed; he might have a chance against Cynder yet."

Astral nodded. "And so will Troy and I, Master."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Troy, Astral, Spyro and Sparx followed Ignitus into the Grotto. Ignitus looked down at the small pond in the middle of the room.<p>

"So, what's up with the pool, Ignitus?" Troy asked.

"You see, Troy," Astral explained, "certain dragons have the ability to see visions; the thoughts, memories and dreams of others, and to see what's happening in places far, far away. Master Ignitus is one such dragon, and in that pool, the visions come forth."

_So that's how he knew where I lived, _Troy thought.

"Oh really, is that so?" Sparx wondered out loud. "Okay, big guy, what am I thinking… now?"

Ignitus just glared at him. "It's not that easy, Sparx. It takes time, reflection and patience." Then he turned back. "What I do see in the Pool of Visions, is that Volteer, one of the Guardians is being held on Dante's Freezer. Also, there are signs of humans being forced to work in this area."

"Are they from my village?" Troy asked. "Is my family among them?"

"I'm not sure," Ignitus confessed. "All I know is we must act quickly. Spyro, Troy, Astral, while I look for the others, I want you all to venture there and find out what you can. Spyro, you can search for Volteer, while Astral and Troy can rescue the humans and send them to the Temple." Then his voice became serious. "Remember, just look around. If either of you encounter Cynder, run. None of you are ready to face her yet."

"Okay," Sparx thought it over. "So when people are trying to kill me, I run. Got it."

"Right," Astral declared. "Let's get going."

"But, Ignitus," Spyro asked. "How do we get there?"

A grin crossed the Fire Guardian's face. "I'm glad you asked."

"Why are you smiling?" Sparx murmured. "I don't like it…"

* * *

><p>Later, out on the balcony, Spyro was shaking his head in disbelief. "Let me get this straight; you're saying that I can… fly?"<p>

Ignitus smiled again and winked.

"It's true," Astral agreed.

"Maybe you've been hanging in those caves a little too long, old man," Sparx said. "Spyro can't fly; we all know that."

"What?" Troy cried. "You mean you've never flown?"

"Yeah," Spyro chuckled. "Sparx is right, Ignitus. A little fresh air might do you good; I've never flown in my life."

"It's you who'll be getting some fresh air, Spyro," Ignitus said. "Now… close your eyes, take a deep breath and empty your mind…"

Spyro slowly let his eyes slide closed and he relaxed.

"Yes," Ignitus whispered, "yes, that's it. Now feel the power of the Ancestors coursing through your body… in times of crisis, they will come you and teach you, unlocking powers you never knew you had."

"Oy, this I gotta see," Sparx sighed.

"Shhh," Troy hissed, watching fascinated.

"Just forget everything you ever thought you knew," Ignitus continued quietly, "forget yourself…" As he spoke, Spyro slowly got to his feet and spread his wings out. "Only through forgetting will you remember what your ancient blood already knows…" Spyro's wings started to flap and he began to rise, as Ignitus finished, "…you can fly!"

Troy's mouth fell open and Sparx's eyes almost popped out of its sockets. Astral just smiled. "Open your eyes, Spyro."

The purple dragon did and stared down in astonishment. "I'm… I'm doing it. I'm flying!"

"Okay, now we can go!" Astral declared.

Troy nodded as he climbed onto Astral's saddle. "Then… Let's fly!"

And with that, the unlikely alliance set off for Dante's Freezer.

Spyro closed his eyes again as he took off after them, and soon they were soaring over the clouds.

"Spyro, take a look round," Troy yelled over the wind.

Spyro opened his eyes and glanced down in slight worry.

"You see what you've been missing?" Astral called. "You're gliding nicely."

"Are you kidding, he's flying!" Sparx shouted next to them. "Welcome to the club, big guy."

"Would that be the annoying pest club?" Spyro asked sarcastically.

"No, smart alec," the dragonfly retorted, "the flying club."

Spyro looked up and chuckled. "Yeah, I could get used to this."

On and on the team flew, with Spyro zooming ahead and barrel-rolling around them. As they swooped out of the clouds and over the sea, Troy looked out over the islands below and then he spotted a massive creature breaching the waves. "What's that?"

"It's a giant Turtle Whale," Astral called back. "Legends say that it knows the secret locations of all the hidden lands of the sea."

"That's amazing," Spyro breathed, then a loud screeching noise made him look up. "Uh, guys… I think we've got company."

Troy glanced up and saw a flurry of Apes zooming towards them. "INCOMING!"

Quickly, Astral and Spyro rolled out of the way and the Apes whooshed straight past them and splashed into the sea.

"Since when did Apes fly without Dreadwings?" Astral cried.

"I don't know," Sparx replied, pointing downwards, "but I believe they were shot out of those things down there."

Troy looked down and saw some large cannons on the cliff sides of a nearby chain of islands, each manned by a large Ape with smaller Apes already climbing into the barrels. Seconds later, the cannons were raised and they fired another round of Apes at the team, who dodged them quickly. Spyro launched a Fireball at one of the cannons, which blew up. Astral meanwhile grabbed an Ape out of the air and flung it straight back to the cannon that fired it, knocking the large Ape off and over the cliff. Troy drew out his sword and cut down several Apes as they flew past them.

The rest of the flight was spent shooting at cannons and knocking Apes out of the sky, but soon the scenery changed from tropical islands to frozen glaciers.

"We're nearly there," Astral called out.

Troy nodded as he remembered Ignitus's words: _Dante's Freezer is a desolate arctic expanse that's littered with the machinery of war; soldiers and weapons frozen forever in the posture of destruction. I suspect Cynder's armies are using the humans to uncover those weapons for use in their battles. You must save them, and find Volteer before he is lost forever._

"Look," Spyro called out. "That must be it."

Troy looked up and saw a vast wintry wilderness guarded by a large wall. To the east, there was a large fortress with spiked walls, and to the west, a snow-covered clearing with frozen soldiers and a catapult.

"Alright, guys," Troy shouted. "Here's what we do. Spyro, you and Sparx head for that clearing and look for Volteer; Astral and I will go to that fortress and free the humans."

"Good plan," Astral cried out. "Let's do it."

As they flew away, Troy heard Spyro calling something. He couldn't hear the dragon properly, but it sounded like he was saying, "How the heck do I land?"

* * *

><p><strong>Finished! So now the story really begins.<strong>

**For the record, the next chapter will be through Troy and Astral's point of view since you already know what happens to Spyro at this point.**

**So what dangers await Troy in Dante's Freezer? Wait and see.**


	6. The Frozen Fortress of Fear

**Here we are again at Chapter 5, and Astral and Troy are about to start their mission.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, etc.**

**So off you go!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: The Frozen Fortress of Fear<p>

Within minutes, Troy and Astral arrived at the back of the fortress and landed. As Troy dismounted, he looked around with slight nervousness.

"We'd better tread carefully here," Astral whispered. "Who knows what we'll run into in there?"

"Apes most likely," Troy replied as he approached two large frozen figures. "What ugly statues they got. No sense of taste, these Apes."

"I don't think they're statues, Troy," Astral said slowly – just as the ice burst off the soldiers!

"Yikes!" Troy yelped, jumping back in alarm.

Immediately, the zombie soldiers drew out their swords and attacked. Astral charged forward, knocking one soldier into the air before blasting it with Fire. Troy meanwhile drew out his sword and lunged at the other zombie. The swords clashed for a moment, but Troy quickly plunged his sword into the soldier's heart, killing it instantly.

"That was freaky," Troy panted as he sheathed his sword. "I hope Spyro and Sparx will be alright."

"They will," Astral said. "Come on, we have to find the humans."

They found a large set of doors and pushing them open, entered the fortress. They found themselves in a massive hallway, lit by many torches. Several large tapestries hung from the walls, each depicting a large black dragon that Troy knew was Cynder surrounded by thousands of Apes. Many large doors lay between the tapestries; some doors were locked as Troy discovered, but one charge from Astral soon fixed that problem. Many of the rooms just held old furniture and rusty armour and weapons, but in one room, they discovered a large cage containing a scaly creature.

Astral gasped. "It can't be…"

"That's a dragon!" Troy cried out.

"Not just any dragon," Astral breathed. "That's Hurricos!"

Troy ran forward to the cage and examined the dragon. It was about the same age as Astral, but its scales were a light blue with a lilac underbelly. Its drooped wings were also lilac, its horns were curved outwards like an antelope's, and its tail tip was shaped like a cloud.

"Who is he?" Troy asked as the dragon's eyes flickered open.

"His name's Hurricos," Astral replied. "He's a Wind Dragon. He visited the Temple long ago to see if there was someone to train him, but Wind is such a rare element that we didn't have a Guardian, so he left. I haven't seen him in years."

"Astral, is that you?" Hurricos groaned.

"It's me," the gold dragon said sadly. "What are you doing here?"

"That monster, Cynder, caught me as I was flying overhead," he replied. "Her powers were too great for me and she knocked me out. When I came to, I was in this cage. The Apes use this fortress as their base while they excavate the weapons."

"Tell me, Hurricos," Troy said, kneeling down till he was level with the imprisoned dragon. "Did you hear any humans around here?"

"No," Hurricos replied slowly. "But I did hear the Apes saying they'd got some human slaves to do their work for them. They're being kept at the back of the fort."

"Hold on," Astral cried. "I'll get you out of there. When I'm done here, use your Wind breath on the lock, and then Troy can smash it with his sword."

She drew in a sharp breath and launched a stream of fire at the lock on the cage, heating it up gradually. Then Hurricos blew a gust of cold wind at it until a loud cracking was heard, so then Troy unsheathed his sword and smashed it against the lock, breaking it in two, before he heaved the door open, allowing Hurricos to escape.

"Thanks, Astral and, uh…"

"Troy," the human put in.

"And Troy," Hurricos finished. "Now let's get out of here quick."

"Not before we've freed the humans and rescued Master Volteer," Astral interjected.

"Volteer?" Hurricos gasped. "He's here too?"

"Yes," she said. "Now we have to find him. Come on!"

And she dashed out of the room, Troy right behind her.

"She's still as feisty as I remember her," Hurricos sighed as he followed behind.

* * *

><p>Soon, Troy and the dragons were sneaking down a second passageway, looking for the humans. As they passed a window, a sudden flash of light drew their attention outside.<p>

"What was that?" Astral gasped.

"I saw that flash before," Hurricos shivered. "It happened just before Cynder attacked me."

"Then it must have been her," Troy said grimly as he saw a distant black shadow disappearing into the clouds. "We'd better hurry if we're to help Spyro."

"Who?" Hurricos asked.

"He means the purple dragon," Astral replied. "My little brother."

"What…?" Hurricos cried.

"No time to explain," Troy interrupted. "Come on."

Further down the corridor, the trio ran into a group of Small Apes, who attacked them. Troy cut some down with his sword, Astral launched a fireball at the back of the group and Hurricos finished the rest off with a powerful Tornado. Soon, they were off again.

"So, Hurricos," Astral said. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"Well," the Wind dragon replied. "After I left the Temple, I went back to Warfang, and asked my mother, also a Wind dragon, to train me. Under her guidance, I learned the basics of Wind and combat. Then the war came. Mother and I went into battle with the Guardians. I was a little disappointed that you weren't there, but Ignitus explained it all to me. We fought well… until Cynder came. She was terrifying; the others did their best but she was too powerful. My mother was among the first to fall…" He tailed off, tears in his eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Astral breathed sadly.

"When the Guardians were taken, we lost our nerve and scattered," Hurricos continued. "I went into hiding in the Shattered Vale. After a while, I decided to find someone to help me fight back and I left for the mainland. That's when Cynder caught me."

"Hurricos, not all the Guardians were taken," Astral informed him. "Master Ignitus escaped. He's waiting at the Temple for us."

"Wonderful news!" Hurricos cried. "Then there's still a chance for us! If we can find other dragons like us, we might stand a chance against that beast, Cynder!"

"Pretty strange that she didn't kill you when she had the chance," Troy thought aloud.

"It's like she wanted you for something," Astral agreed. "But what?"

Troy pushed open another door and they stepped out onto a snow covered field with a large frozen lake nearby. On the opposite bank there were two Spirit Gem clusters. Astral and Hurricos skated across the lake and smashed one each, absorbing the shards. But as they turned to slide back to shore, a loud shriek rang out from the wall behind them.

Troy looked up and gasped. "Guys, look out!"

The dragons spun round and saw a Medium Ape jumping down from the wall. It landed on the lake with such force that the ice began to crack underfoot. Hurricos jumped across to the shore, but Astral, who was nearest the Ape, was still stunned by its landing and before she could react, the ice broke beneath her and she crashed into the chilly water.

"ASTRAL!" Troy and Hurricos screamed, dashing to the shore.

Seconds later, there was movement beneath the surface and Astral suddenly emerged, gasping and choking, and shook herself dry. Then the Ape, who was still standing on a floe of ice, leapt onto the shore and growled. Astral glared at it, opened her mouth… and unleashed a powerful torrent of water with the force of a fire hose, sending the Ape flying back over the wall.

Troy was flabbergasted. "What… Is that… How did you do that, Astral?"

"I don't know," she gasped. "I just felt this overwhelming power in me, like a raging river, and I had to let it flow."

"Is that even possible?" Hurricos asked amazed.

"Well, Ignitus told me that golden dragons have got incredible powers," Troy recalled. "Maybe she can have special abilities that other dragons don't have, just like the purple dragon."

"Speaking of which," Astral reminded, "we still need to find the humans and find Spyro if we're to save Volteer."

"Right," the young human nodded. "Let's keep going."

They found another door on the other side of the field and entered into a different part of the castle. As they made their way along, they faced armies of Apes and zombie soldiers. But through a combination of sword, claws, fire, wind and water, Troy and the dragons defeated them easily.

Eventually, they came out into a great hall where they could hear distressed cries coming from the rooms along the aisle. Troy gasped. "Those are human voices!"

"Let's get them out of here," Astral cried. "Come on!"

"Hold it right there," a deep voice growled from the shadows.

The trio spun round and saw a large group of Apes entering the hall from the other side, some small, some medium and one that towered over them all. Troy reckoned that if he stood on his tiptoes, he'd still only reach the Large Ape's shoulders.

"I am Scarmuth Rimeclaw, leader of this faction of Apes," the Large Ape growled. "We don't take kindly to strangers around here."

"Well, that's too bad," Astral retorted crossly. "We've come to free the humans."

"How precious," the Ape chuckled. "Unfortunately, that action will be in vain." Just then, his sickly yellow eyes fell on Troy, and a sinister sneer crossed his face. "Well, well, what do we have here? A human that has missed our clutches?"

"He's just just any human," Hurricos bellowed. "He's the fabled Dragon Rider, and Astral here is his partner!"

"Is that so?" Scarmuth chuckled. "Well, that's good news for us!"

"What do you mean?" Troy yelled up.

"You see, before Cynder left, she gave me orders to kill the Dragon Rider and take his steed back to her lair, and I can't let her down." Scarmuth bared his rotten teeth in a angry smirk. "So now, Dragon Rider, your time has come. Apes… ATTACK!"

Immediately the smaller Apes dashed forward, claws bared. Astral and Hurricos went on the offensive, lowering their heads and charging into the group. Troy pulled out his sword and attacked the Medium Apes, stabbing and slashing his way forwards. As he neared Scarmuth, he raised his sword. "Now why do you need the younger dragons?"

"You'll have to catch me first!" Scarmuth yelled, pelting back through the door. With a growl, Troy ran after him and barged through…

…straight into a large arena, where he saw the Ape running to the other side. Troy was about to follow when he heard the flapping of heavy wings. Suddenly, a huge bat-like monster dropped out of the sky, landing right in front of him, and let out a terrifying screech.

Scarmuth laughed sinisterly. "You've fought well, human. But now let's see how you fare against one of our Dreadwings!"

The monster bat raised one wing and swung it down on Troy, knocking him backwards. It dived forwards, jaws open, but Troy thrust his shield up, smashing it into the Dreadwing's face. It stumbled back, shaking its head, before letting out a shriek so loud Troy had to cover his ears. The Dreadwing then charged again, but then a flash of gold smashed into it, sending it sprawling.

Troy stared incredulously at Astral as she glowered at the Dreadwing. "Now this party's getting started," she growled. "Troy, get on my back and we'll take them down."

Troy did so and smiled at his friend. "Thanks," he panted. "Now, let's dance."

With a roar, Scarmuth leapt onto the Dreadwing's back. "Just try and take me!"

The Dreadwing took to the air, and Astral followed. She zoomed forward and smashed into the monster, knocking it back. The Dreadwing responded by lunging its head at her, but she quickly rolled out of the way. Astral then launched a Fireball at it, which set fire to the beast's fur. Troy took this chance to draw out his sword and swing it at the Dreadwing, slicing into its leathery wings.

Just then, Scarmuth raised his claws and swung down at Troy, but he blocked with his shield before forcing it forward, knocking the Ape off the Dreadwing's back. Before he fell too far, he grabbed his beast's leg, making it screech in alarm. Enraged, the batty beast turned its head and bared its teeth, ready to bite off Troy's head, but Astral shot her Water Stream into its face, making it recoil spluttering. Seizing the opportunity, Troy thrust his sword up and punctured the beast's chest. The Dreadwing screeched in pain, and Astral smashed it downwards with her wing, sending it and Scarmuth crashing to the ground.

Astral landed and Troy climbed off her back. He then ran over to the Deadwing's crumpled form and spotted Scarmuth struggling to get up. "Alright, boot face," the human demanded. "Now what's Cynder up to?"

Scarmuth gave a weak snigger which faded into coughing. "Fools… Cynder's plan is… already under way. You'll never stop her… You or… your dragon friends…" He gave another laugh before his eyes rolled back and he slumped back dead.

As Troy considered the Ape's last words, he heard a loud thumping noise from the other side of the arena. He turned and saw a large wooden door. He was about to go examine it, when some loud cheering reached his ears. He spun round to see a large crowd of humans led by Hurricos running out to him. Troy looked among the faces for his family, but to no avail.

"Thank you, young man," said the leader of the crowd, a large bear of a man with a tangled black beard. "My people have been trapped in this frozen hellhole for many months, forced to excavate the weapons needed for that accursed black beast, but now we are free. We're forever in your debt."

"You're welcome," Troy replied modestly. "I couldn't have done it without my dragon friends here. Now we need to get you to safety. What's your name, sir?"

"It's Argos," the man replied. "I lived on the smallest island in our original home."

"I'm Troy," the young Rider replied. "Now listen, Argos, Hurricos here will lead you out of the fort. You need to find the boats that brought you here. Once you're onboard, set sail for the mainland, go up the Silver River until you see a large building. There you will meet a red dragon called Ignitus; tell him I sent you here. Understand?"

"Yes, I do," Argos said, then he turned to the crowd. "Everybody, we're leaving this place. We must follow the blue dragon out to the boats. He'll lead us to a place of safety."

With a ragged cheer, the freed captives set off back up the passageway. Troy then turned to the Wind dragon. "Think you can manage, Hurricos?"

"Of course," Hurricos replied. "I'll see you back at the Temple. Be careful though, guys. Word's going around about an Ice King hidden somewhere in the glaciers."

"We'll be fine," Astral reassured him. "See you later."

Troy then went up to the large door, pushed up the bar across it and heaved it open. He stared incredulously at the scene outside. The bodies of Apes and Dreadwings were strewn across the field before him. "Looks like Spyro managed to get here, too."

"Wow," Astral breathed. "Where is he though?"

Troy spotted some tracks in the snow, which led to a small cave in the rocks. "I think he went down here. Come on."

With some difficulty, he crawled through the tunnel into a larger cavern at the back. Astral then breathed a stream of fire down to widen it slightly before squeezing in after him. Then they set off down the cavern.

* * *

><p><strong>There, I'm finished.<strong>

**So, a new character has been introduced. The name, Hurricos, comes from an earlier **_**Spyro **_**game. I'm sure you'll know which one I mean. Also, Astral's Water Breath was the idea of D.J Scales and now I need your help. I want Astral to learn new abilities that are different to what Spyro and Cynder learn. Water was just a starter, but I need new ideas for the next chapters.**

**So next chapter, Troy, Astral and Spyro regroup and face the Ice King! Wait and see.**


	7. Wrath of the Ice King

**So on to the next chapter. Troy, Astral and Spyro are about to rescue Volteer.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, etc.**

**Anyhow… here we go!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Wrath of the Ice King<p>

Further down the cavern, Troy and Astral came across a familiar sight; a purple dragon fighting a gang of Small Apes. Quickly they joined in the fray and took out the others. Soon the Apes were dead and the dragons recovered their health and magic with some gems. Troy then told about how he and Astral saved the human slaves and met Hurricos.

"I haven't seen any sign of Volteer yet," Spyro said. "But check this out." He opened his mouth and shot a bolt of electricity at the wall.

"Wow, that's great," Astral gasped, impressed. "Now see what I can do." She blew a stream of water out of her mouth, and splashed it over Sparx.

"Hey, cut it out," the dragonfly spluttered.

"So you've found this cave too, huh?" Troy stated.

"Well, we couldn't get into the fort," Spyro explained, "so Sparx lead me to this place where those Apes were."

"And then we met you," Astral finished.

"We couldn't find Volteer in the fort either," Troy said. "So he has to be here. Let's go."

Soon the team found themselves on a ledge overlooking an icy arena. Spyro and Astral glided down, Sparx zipped after them and Troy took a running jump into the arena. They tensed themselves as they slid into the centre, then Sparx pointed ahead with a smile. "Hey that's him, we did it, bye."

Troy looked up and saw a large ledge that looked out over the arena. At the back there was a massive throne containing a huge frozen figure. At its feet lay a large yellow dragon patterned with pale white stripes, with a dark blue underbelly, horns and wings.

Astral gasped. "That's Master Volteer! We have to get over there."

"Wait a minute." Troy held her back. "I don't like this."

"Me neither," Spyro agreed. "It's too quiet… too easy."

"What… what part was easy?" cried Sparx as he buzzed over to the iced statue. "Getting chased by frozen madmen and gorillas?"

Just then, a loud cracking noise rang out, and the statue started to move. Astral gasped, Troy stared in horror and Spyro gulped, "Uh, Sparx?"

Sparx turned and winced slightly. "Is that what I think it is?" He turned back around and saw the figure standing up from the throne. With a scream, he buzzed straight back to the others.

The monstrous figure stepped forward to the ledge. He was dressed in the armour of the smaller zombie soldiers, carrying a shield in one arm and a cape flowed down off his back. With a roar, he leapt into the centre of the arena.

Astral glanced nervously at Troy. "That must be the Ice King that Hurricos warned us about."

"Yes," Troy agreed as he drew out his sword. "Let's take him down a notch."

The Ice King pulled out his own icy sword and let out a deep booming laugh. Spyro launched a Fireball at him, blowing him back. Troy then rushed forward and locked swords with the monstrous zombie. As the King began to gain the upper hand, Astral and Spyro dashed behind him and blew a Fire Blast at his back. With a roar of agony, the Ice King stumbled back, and Troy flicked the icy sword out of the zombie's hand.

Angrily, the Ice King raised his foot and stamped down, sending out a shockwave which knocked Troy down. As he struggled to stand, the huge zombie stomped forward and reached out to grab him. Acting quickly, Astral shot out her Water Stream at the Ice King's feet, which made him slip and stumble back. Spyro took the chance to charge into the King's side, sending him right to the edge of the arena. Troy then raised his shield and shoulder-charged into the zombie, knocking him over the edge and down the glacier. Troy almost followed him down, but Astral managed to grab him and pull him to safety.

The team then flew up to where Volteer was lying on his side, watching with amazement. Astral bowed her head to him. "How are you feeling, Master?"

"Astral!" Volteer gasped. "My, my, my, am I glad, happy, pleased, thrilled, delighted to see you again. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Master Volteer," Astral chuckled. "And look, I found my Rider and my little brother."

"Yes, I saw the whole battle from up here," Volteer babbled. "It borders on the miraculous, incredible, stupendous… a dragon his size and a young human defeating that, that… thing! Thank you, er, um…" He trailed off.

"Spyro," the little dragon said.

"And I'm Troy," the human added.

"A purple dragon named Spyro and a Dragon Rider named Troy," Volteer pondered. "Amazing. Of course there were unsubstantiated rumours of a purple dragon and a Dragon Rider countless generations ago, but most considered it hearsay, gossip, legend, it's hard to believe, difficult to fathom, amazing to comprehend…"

"No wonder they gagged this guy," Sparx muttered.

"So much time has passed," Volteer continued. "So many years have passed and now here they are standing before me…"

"Excuse me, Master Volteer?" Astral interrupted.

"W-Wha-What is it?" the Electric Guardian sputtered.

"Sir, I think we should get going," Troy said.

"Oh yes, of course," Volteer agreed. "But uh, where to?"

"Well, back to the Temple," Spyro replied.

"A friend of yours is waiting," Sparx added.

"Ignitus?" Volteer gasped incredulously.

"Yes, Ignitus," the dragonfly sighed.

"Of course," Volteer cried out. "So much to tell, so many hypotheses to impose. I believe that…"

And he kept on talking all the way back…

* * *

><p>By nightfall, Troy and the dragons had returned to the Temple and met up with Ignitus who was glad to see them again. Troy explained how he allowed the humans to come to the Temple for safety and the Guardian agreed. Then they met in the Grotto and discussed their next moves, but Volteer was too busy babbling about what Cynder was doing to him at Dante's Freezer before saying how pleased he was to see his fellow Guardian.<p>

"Yes, yes, Volteer," Ignitus sighed patiently. "It's good to see you as well, but we haven't got time to waste on sentiment. Back to Cynder… she was doing what to you?"

"Wait, Cynder's a chick?" Sparx cried out.

"Yes she is," Troy answered. "Weren't you listening?"

"Well, it's hard to be absolutely sure, Ignitus," Volteer said, "but it seems she was using me as some sort of suspended organic power source."

"Huh?" Sparx asked.

"She was using him as a battery," Astral translated.

"Why didn't he say so?" the dragonfly scowled.

"Not only that," Volteer continued, "but she also left with a glowing yellow crystal, and I believe that I somehow powered it. Does that mean anything to you, Ignitus?"

"Perhaps," the Fire Guardian murmured.

"I think I should tell you," Troy put in. "When I was fighting that Ape Commander, he said something about Cynder's plan already going ahead, and it might have something to do with why they kidnapped Hurricos. Is that important too?"

"Perhaps, perhaps," Ignitus repeated. "What I do know is we need to rescue the other Guardians before Cynder could power any more of those crystals. We'll work on that after a good night's sleep. "

"I agree, Ignitus," Volteer nodded. "And come the dawn, I'd like to impart some useful knowledge onto Spyro, vis-à-vis his recently acquired electricity based exhalation device."

"What?" Sparx cried out.

"He said that tomorrow, he'd like to teach me some things about that Electricity Breath," Spyro replied.

"Oi, why doesn't he just say so?" Sparx yelled.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Volteer took Spyro into the Dojo for training, while Troy and Astral went out into the garden so Astral can learn to use her Water Breath. Within a few hours, Astral had mastered her Water Stream and then she discovered a skill that involved trapping dummies in a bubble that suspended them in the air, allowing her to take them out with air combos. She practiced using her Bubble Snare move, before attempting to master a Water Fury, which wasn't that easy.<p>

Meanwhile Troy continued practicing his sword skills on some nearby Frog Weeds and also tried using his shield as a weapon on some Mushroom Spiders. Then as night began to fall, they returned to the Temple and watched Spyro complete his Electricity training with a powerful Electric Fury.

"Wow," Troy breathed.

"Your training is complete," Volteer announced. "For now."

* * *

><p>The following morning, Ignitus told Troy that the humans have been sighted on the Silver River, and Hurricos arrived to deliver a special gift; a magical cloak that protected its wearer from elemental attacks. Troy put it on and Astral tested it by breathing fire on it, but it didn't even smolder. Then Ignitus made another announcement.<p>

"Spyro, Astral," he said worriedly. "Cyril, the Ice Guardian, was taken to Tall Plains. You, Troy and Sparx must go there at once… and find him."

"Yes sir," Spyro responded.

"We won't let you down, Master," Astral agreed.

"Any word of humans on Tall Plains?" Troy asked.

"No, Troy, not this time," Ignitus sighed.

"I see," Troy muttered, a little disappointed.

"Don't feel sad, Troy," Astral replied. "There are other people we can rescue on Tall Plains. Focus on them, not just on the humans."

"Okay," Troy said more assuredly. "We'll do that."

"But if we see danger, we run, right?" Sparx added.

"There are times," Ignitus replied, "when all of us need to stand up to danger, young Sparx."

"Yeah, maybe next month, next summer… perhaps next year?"

"Just go!" Ignitus yelled. "Now!"

"Yes sir," Spyro and Astral said.

"We'll be back soon," Troy called out as he followed the dragons out to the balcony.

* * *

><p><strong>And finished again, so soon after the last one too.<strong>

**So now I'm still thinking about what elements Astral should use apart from Fire and Water. If I like your ideas, then I'll use it.**

**So, what dangers await our friends on Tall Plains? Wait and see.**


	8. No Plains Sailing

**So here's Chapter 7 and Troy and Astral are joining Spyro in his mission to Tall Plains.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, etc.**

**Now then… let's get going!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: No Plains Sailing<p>

Sometime later, Spyro, Astral and Troy had arrived at the entrance to Tall Plains, an area of jungle and ruins rising high above the clouds. As they landed a cliff side, Troy called out, "So, Astral, what can you tell us about this place?"

"Well," she replied. "Tall Plains was once home to a proud ancient tribe called the Atlawa…"

"Oh bless you," the dragonfly interrupted.

"Sparx…" Spyro warned.

"Anyway," Astral continued, "the Atlawa are a people in tune with the rhythm of the seasons, focused on their relationships to the crops, their surroundings, their gods. But now according to Ignitus, they've all been driving underground by Cynder and her forces, who've taken over the tribe's Shrine."

"I'm guessing that's where Cynder is keeping Cyril, trying to power another crystal," Troy said grimly. "So we must find him before she succeeds."

"Right," Sparx groaned. "It's never easy, is it?"

"Nothing worthwhile ever is," Spyro said as he set off.

"So now you're spouting wisdom, hero boy?" Sparx retorted.

Spyro chuckled to himself. "Come on."

As they entered the ruins, they were immediately attacked by Apes which they defeated quickly through a combination of fire, electricity, water and sword attacks. They also stumbled through a series of ancient dart traps; Troy protected them with his shield. As they rounded a corner, Astral stopped them and pointed out. "Look at that."

Troy peeked round and saw a worrying sight. On the edge of a cliff, a troop of Apes, three Small, one Medium and one Large, were standing in front of two cages, each containing a llama-like person inside, one brown and one gray. As Troy watched, a Dreadwing swooped out of the sky, grabbed a chain on top of the cage with the brown llama and carried it away.

"Those must be the Atlawa," Spyro said sadly. "They're in trouble."

Troy nodded grimly. "The enemy of our enemy is our friend."

"Does that mean what I think it does?" Sparx groaned.

"It means we have to help him," Astral confirmed.

"Oh brother," Sparx sighed.

With that, the gang charged out into the open. Troy immediately went for the Large Ape and knocked it over the edge. Spyro trapped the Medium Ape in an Electric Arc and bashed it down. Astral used her Bubble Snare to catch two of the Small Apes, then took them out. Spyro charged into the last Small Ape, knocking it back at the gray Atlawa's cage and bashing the door open.

"Hey, watch it, would you?" the Atlawa snapped.

"I was just trying to help," Spyro said apologetically.

"Well, the Atlawa and Kane need no help."

"Oh, just about to spring into action, huh?" Astral scowled.

"Forget this guy, you two," Sparx sighed. "Come on."

As Kane left the cage, Troy then asked, "What did those Apes want with you anyway?"

"That's none of your business," Kane retorted as he set off into the jungle. "Now move it, I've got a tribe to save."

"Oh, you're welcome," Sparx yelled at his back.

"Talk about ungrateful," Astral sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Well, let's not worry about him," Troy said. "We have a job to do. Let's go."

Further down the ruins, the unlikely alliance got into battle with Stonadillos, Apes and Dreadwings. But the toughest challenge came when they stumbled into a pair of Rock Golems. But Spyro quickly discovered they were weak against Fire, so he and Astral defeated one of them easily. Troy also found how easy it was to cut through the vines that held the Golem's limbs to its body, so he defeated the second one.

After a few miles and several battles, the group then arrived at a large field, layered on a series of cliffs. A river ran down the middle of the cliffs, with huge stationary waterwheels at the three waterfalls. On each field, there was a large tambourine-like device on the end of a long pole, with drumsticks attached to strings on its side, and three stone buttons.

Spyro looked around and made a decision. "We're going to have to use the waterwheels to move ahead."

Troy and Astral nodded in agreement and Sparx just moaned, "Oh, it's never easy."

The group split up, each heading for a button. Troy jumped onto his button, and as he did, the device swiveled round, the drumsticks rattling on the tambourine, before stopping. Astral smashed her button down with her tail, then seconds later, Spyro did a Horn Dive on his and at once the waterwheel began to turn and the group jumped onto the nearest paddle and went to the next level.

After doing it two more times, they reached the top level and passed through a small building. As they went out the other side, they found themselves overlooking a clearing with a river running over a nearby cliff face, through the clearing and over the edge. A loud stomping noise made them look up the cliff and they saw the Atlawa chief surrounded by three Rock Golems. As he backed away down the river, he didn't notice the waterfall behind him.

"KANE!" Troy and the dragons cried out.

Kane turned to look round, lost his footing and, with a cry, fell down the waterfall into the river below.

"Oh no," Astral gasped as the stunned Atlawa floated downstream. "That river goes over the cliff edge. He'll never recover in time!"

"Yeah, I know the guy's an ingrate," Sparx agreed, "but we've gotta do something, and fast!"

Spyro dashed forward, opened his mouth… and shot out a stream of ice at the waterfall's edge, freezing it just before Kane reached it. As he recovered, he was startled at this incredible sight.

Sparx was amazed too. "Buddy, you are getting weirder and weirder by the second."

At that moment, the Golems jumped down and made their way towards Kane. Acting quickly, Astral leapt down and opened her mouth too. For a few seconds, nothing happened… but then several large vines erupted from the ground, wrapped themselves around the Golems and crushed them to pieces.

"Whoa," Troy breathed. "That was amazing!"

"Guess weirdness runs in the family, huh?" Sparx said, and Spyro nodded in agreement.

"Hey, guys," Troy called out. "Kane's gone again."

"What a jerk," Astral growled. "That's twice we've saved him and he never thanked us once."

"He's probably just too proud to admit his gratitude," Spyro sighed. "Let's keep going."

The journey continued, with the team facing more Apes, Stonadillos, Rock Golems and Dreadwings. Spyro's Ice Breath and Astral's Plant Crush proved useful in the battles and soon they reached a new area of cliffs. On one level, Kane was just dealing with two Small Apes, knocking them over the edge. Then he spotted Troy and the dragons.

"You again?" he scowled. "Why don't you get outta here and leave me in peace? I'm the boss here, nobody else."

"Boss of what?" Sparx scoffed, before Spyro shushed him.

"You're all alone here?" Troy asked.

"Only until I kick these bums out," Kane replied. "Which reminds me, I can't stand around here all day, chatting to dragons, humans and mosquitoes…"

"Hey, whoa, whoa," Sparx cried out. "Who are you calling a mosquito?"

"Besides," the Atlawa chief continued, "it's not safe here."

"Oh, concerned about our welfare now?" Astral retorted.

"No need," Spyro said. "We can look after ourselves. Anyway, we need to get the Shrine."

"You'll never make it," Kane called out, as he left for the top cliff, knocking an Ape aside as he did so.

Other Apes came down to attack the team, but Troy and the dragons took them out quickly, before climbing up the cliffs to where Kane was waiting by a large stone door.

"The Shrine God has not been appeased since Cynder's forces came," he told the group. "He is not happy."

"So, is anybody fun around here?" Sparx sighed.

"You can't possibly face the God of the Shrine alone," the Atlawa growled, as he bashed the door three times making it open.

"Not all of us are loners, Kane," said Spyro as he set off through the door. "I'm not going alone."

"He's right because we're with him," Troy agreed as he and Astral followed Spyro. "Maybe someday you'll learn that two heads are better than one."

"Even if one is a pinhead," Astral added.

"Yeah," Sparx called before realizing what Astral had said. "Wait, what?"

Troy laughed at Astral's joke, before looking up ahead. There, on the edge of a cliff, was a massive ship, floating on the clouds. Apes were crawling over the deck, unpacking equipment and loading some cages.

"This must go to the Shrine," Astral whispered.

"If that's so, it's our only chance of reaching Cyril," Troy said. "Come on, let's sneak aboard."

They crept up to the ship and hid behind one of the crates. They waited until the Apes finished their work and boarded the ship, then they raced up the gangplank.

"I'm not sure I like the look of this thing," Spyro murmured.

"Oh, now you tell us," Sparx sighed.

Just then, the ship set off from the cliff and began floating away… towards the Shrine.

* * *

><p><strong>And I'll just stop there.<strong>

**So now Astral learned the Plant Element, which makes three. I still need a fourth element for her, so please help.**

**Next chapter, Spyro, Troy and Astral meet two new characters and face the Stone Sentinel. Wait and see**


	9. By Ship to the Shrine

**So here we are at part 2 of the Tall Plains mission.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, just my OC's.**

**Now let the story commence.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: By Ship to the Shrine<p>

As the ship began its journey, Troy and the dragons moved out of their hiding place… and immediately, the Apes spotted them. The Large Ape captain let out a screech and sent the others out.

"Here they come!" Troy cried, drawing his sword. "Get ready guys!"

Spyro and Astral charged forward, smashing into the Small Apes. Troy lunged at a Medium Ape, bashing it with his shield before thrusting his sword in its chest. Spyro used his Ice Breath on a Small Ape, turning it into a snowball, then he bashed it back into the others, knocking them down like skittles. Astral dashed up to the Large Ape, knocked it into the air, then jumped up and bashed it back. The Ape went crashing through the bamboo deck, leaving a gaping hole in the hold.

At that moment, Troy heard voices calling from the hold: "Help! Somebody, help us!"

Astral looked up too. "I know those voices," she cried, jumping through the hole.

Troy and Spyro followed her down and found her standing by two large wooden cages, each containing a dragon the same size as Astral, one male and one female. The male dragon had aquamarine scales, with sea-green horns, underbelly and wings, a fin-shaped crest and a wave-shaped tail blade. The female dragon was grassy green, with darker green horns, underbelly and wings, and a leaf-like tail blade.

"By the Ancestors," the green dragon gasped. "Astral, it's you!"

"Yes, Botanica," Astral sighed. "It's good to see you again, and you too, Hydrus."

"More friends of yours, are they?" Troy asked.

"Yes," Astral replied. "They were born at the Temple, same as me. We were very good friends, despite our differences. You see, Botanica is a rare Plant Dragon, and Hydrus is a Water Dragon. Other dragons made fun at them for their powers, saying they were useless at anything other than gardening. I was the only one who appreciated their unique skills. Then one day, Botanica and Hydrus left for Tall Plains to practice their powers and I never saw them since."

"Well," Hydrus called out. "I'd love to hear you reminisce on your life, but how about getting us out of here?"

"Right," Astral said, clearing her mind. "Spyro, can you help me out here?"

The two lowered their heads and charged into the cages, smashing the doors open and allowing Hydrus and Botanica to get out.

"Thank you, Astral," Botanica said.

"Gratitude at last," Sparx sighed. "We didn't get any from that jerk, Kane."

Hydrus then spotted Spyro and Troy. "Can it be…?" he gasped. "Botanica, look. It's the purple dragon… and the Dragon Rider!"

"That's right," Astral agreed. "This is Troy, he's my Rider. See, he's got the same mark as me." Troy held up his arm to show them. "And this is Spyro, my little brother, and Sparx, Spyro's brother. We're rescuing the Guardians together."

"Speaking of which," Troy realized. "With the Apes gone, no-one's steering the ship. I'd better go back up and take the wheel."

As Troy steered the ship on course for the Shrine, Hydrus and Botanica told them their story. After arriving at Tall Plains, they went into hiding to train themselves for battle. In time, they became masters of their respective elements. Then they heard the news of the terrible war. They were afraid to go out, in case the Dark Armies laughed at their powers, so they stayed hidden. Then one day, Hydrus went out to get some food and ran into the invading Apes, who captured him quickly. Cynder eventually found where Botanica was hiding and took her too. Amazingly, they weren't killed at once, but were instead locked in cages and trapped on the ship.

"How very strange," Astral pondered, once they'd finished. "Again, the Apes didn't kill you when they had the chance. Hurricos had the same thing happen to him. What could Cynder be up to?"

"Land ahoy!" Troy called out from the ship's wheel.

The dragons looked up, and saw a new cliff face with a large temple doorway. Troy landed the ship by the cliff and the whole group disembarked and passed through the temple ruin. They did run into some Rock Golems and Stonadillos, but Troy, Spyro and Astral took them out quickly. Botanica and Hydrus were still weak from their imprisonment so couldn't help out much. Soon they entered a clearing where a long wooden bridge crossed to a big island. There, waiting for them was Kane.

"I have to admit," muttered the Atlawa chief, "you guys have done better than I thought possible."

Astral chuckled at that. "Oh, saying that had to hurt."

"More than you can imagine," Kane admitted. "Now, there are some things you should know about the Shrine before you enter…"

At that moment, a large, black, winged figure emerged from the island. It let out a screeching roar and took to the sky, carrying a glowing blue crystal in its paws.

Astral stared in horror at the retreating figure. "W-Was that C-Cynder?" she stammered.

"I'm afraid so," Troy said, as he glared up.

Hydrus and Botanica had retreated back into the ruins in fear, Astral couldn't blame them. Sparx just watched worriedly before saying, "And I think we're done here."

"Not before we rescue Cyril," Spyro reminded him.

Kane bowed his head sadly. "The Atlawa shrine has been desecrated, and the God of the Shrine has not been given tribute since Cynder's arrival." Then he looked up, hope in his eyes. "But if you guys can subdue his anger, the balance will be restored and my people can come home."

"That's fine," Troy said, "but we also came to free Cyril."

"You must go through the God of the Shrine to reach your friend," Kane replied.

Sparx groaned, "Knew you were gonna say that."

"Um, can we stay here?" Hydrus murmured. "This God of the Shrine sounds terrifying."

"Listen, Hydrus," Astral said sternly. "I know you and Botanica are frightened, but you have to learn to face your fears if you want to help in the battles to come. Besides, I'm sure you'll want to see how tough your powers really are."

"I have an idea," Botanica spoke up. "Maybe we can help Kane save the rest of his tribe."

"I don't need anyone's help," Kane cried.

"Need I remind you," Troy pointed out, "that if we hadn't been there to help you, you would have taken by those Apes to who knows where? And that if it weren't for us, you would have gone over the waterfall? We have been helping since we first met you, so a little extra help for your cause wouldn't hurt you."

Kane was silent for a moment, then he sighed. "I suppose you're right. Come on, you two, let's get going."

Troy nodded and led Spyro and Astral towards the bridge. Then he heard Kane call out, "Oh, by the way…"

The group turned back to see Kane smiling at them. "Thank you," he said, "for all you've done."

With a nod, the two groups set off to their respective duties.

* * *

><p>Once at the other side of the bridge, Troy, Spyro and Astral climbed up some big stone steps. At the top, they looked down into a massive arena littered with broken brickwork and a huge boulder in the middle. Behind the boulder, there lay a large icy blue dragon, with a purple underbelly, horns shaped like icicles and large purple wings lying flat on its back.<p>

"That's Master Cyril!" Astral gasped.

"Be careful," Spyro warned. "Remember last time."

"I know," Sparx reassured him. "But Cynder left, and I don't see any Ice Kings hanging around this place…"

Suddenly, Troy cried out, "That boulder's moving!"

The dragons looked up in time to see the boulder shudder and break apart. But instead of falling to the ground, the two pieces hung around on thick vines. Then a head emerged from the top of the boulder, and then it pulled itself out of the ground revealing two sturdy legs. The monster thumped its chest with its fists and let out an earth-shaking roar.

Astral gulped. "I think that's the Shrine God!"

"When will I learn?" Sparx groaned. "When things look good, run for the hills."

Troy and the dragons leapt into the arena and ran up to the Sentinel. Immediately, it swung out its foot and knocked them back into the wall. Spyro jumped up and launched a Fireball at the monstrous Golem, which was surprisingly effective. But then, the Sentinel raised its fist and thrust it down at Spyro, who quickly jumped aside.

"Guys," Spyro called out. "This thing's like one of those Rock Golems. It's weak against Fire."

"Then that means…" Troy dashed forward and swung his sword down on the vine holding up the arm, slicing it off as easily as a hot knife through butter. The Sentinel roared in a mix of pain and anger, then swung its leg again. This time, Troy dodged aside and cut the monster's leg off. It roared again and reached out with its remaining arm to try and grab Troy, but only succeeded in falling flat on its face.

"Alright, Spyro," Astral called out. "Let's unleash our Fire Fury!"

As Troy dove behind a broken wall for safety, the two dragons leapt onto the Sentinel's back, closed their eyes and focused their energy. Fire ignited around their bodies and seconds later, they unleashed it in a flurry of flame so powerful, the Sentinel was blown apart.

Troy looked out from the wall, his face wearing a look of astonishment. "Whoa…" he breathed.

Astral then dashed over to the unconscious Ice Guardian and shook him awake. "Master Cyril," she said, "are you alright?"

Cyril lifted his head and looked up. "My goodness," he gasped. "If it isn't young Astral. You're still alive!"

"Yes, Master," she said. "And I've found my Rider, Troy, and this is my little brother, Spyro."

"This is quite a moment indeed," Cyril replied, as he got to his feet. "I never thought I'd see the purple dragon. He might not like my ancestors, but he's still quite special."

Just then, a series of cheering and worshipping noises rang out. The group looked up and saw a large crowd of Atlawas entering the arena, and then they started bowing down to them! Then they parted to allow Kane, Hydrus and Botanica to pass through.

"Hey, guys," Astral called out. "I see you've found the tribe; did you have any trouble?"

"Not at all," Botanica said. "There were a few Apes, but we dealt with them."

"You were right, Astral," Hydrus added. "Our powers have gotten stronger."

Kane then spoke up. "You three have subdued the God of the Shrine, restored balance to the seasons, our crops and our world. The Atlawas want to worship you now."

"Worship? All right," Sparx cheered. "I've never gotten the respect I deserve, the praise that should be mine."

Troy rolled his eyes, while Spyro spoke, "That's very nice, Kane, but we have to get back to our world and figure out how to stop Cynder for good."

Sparx however raised his hands and called out, "My dear Atlawas, I am the mighty Sparx, scourge of the despots…"

"Yes, yes, old boy," Cyril interrupted with a slight hint of sarcasm. "We'd like nothing more than to stay and be a part of your primitive barbaric society, but duty calls, duty calls."

"If you must, you must," Kane said. "But know that you five are now part of the Atlawa tribe, one of us."

"I am the mighty Spa-"

"Forget it, Sparx," Astral said irritated. "They're not interested."

The dragons then left the Shrine and prepared to fly back to the mainland. As Troy climbed onto Astral's back, Kane called out again, "By the way, human, you were right."

"About what?" Troy asked.

"Maybe two heads are better than one," the Atlawa leader replied. "Even if one belongs to an annoying mosquito."

"Mosquito, me?" Sparx called. "Is that what…? Oh."

The dragons laughed as they set off for home.

* * *

><p><strong>And finished. So two new OC's are introduced.<strong>

**So now, next chapter, Astral learns to use her new powers and Troy begins a new training session for the humans. So, wait and see.**


	10. The Art of the Riders

**So now we're at Chapter 9 and I'm taking a break from the action in lieu of training.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, just my OC's.**

**Anyway, here we go.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: The Art of the Riders<p>

By sunset, Troy and the dragons were arriving at the Temple. Ignitus, Volteer and Hurricos were waiting for them on the balcony, and they were quite surprised when they saw Botanica and Hydrus. Soon, they were all in the Grotto, telling their stories, but once again, Volteer interrupted by blabbering about how happy he was to see Cyril again.

"Yes, yes, Volteer," the Ice Guardian sighed. "I see that months of tortured captivity have done nothing to slow that electric tongue of yours from incessantly wagging."

"It's just that it's all so exciting, exhilarating, enchanting, enthralling…" Volteer tailed off, stumbling over his own words.

"All right, no more thesaurus for you, pal," Sparx moaned.

"All of you please, be quiet," Ignitus shouted. "It is certainly encouraging that Spyro, Astral and Troy have managed to free two of you to allow this reunion, but haven't we forgotten someone?"

"Yes, of course," Astral said quietly. "Master Terrador."

"Precisely," Ignitus replied. "Now how do we proceed?"

"I think we can help with that, Master Ignitus," Hydrus called out. "You see, Astral somehow learned the Water and Plant elements in her travels. So tomorrow, Botanica and I should give her some training so she can learn how to master them."

"And I can help Spyro here as well," Cyril put in, looking down at the purple dragon. "Well, young chap, since you learned a few things about Ice on Tall Plains, I suggest that tomorrow we should adjourn to the Training Room so I can teach you some more. The legacy of the great Ice dragons of yore, my ancestors…" Sparx, Ignitus and Astral all groaned and shook their heads as Cyril spoke. "…who come from the best of the best in this somewhat forgotten lineage, is long and storied. With my help, rescuing Terrador should be a certainty."

Volteer let out an exasperated groan. "Your pomposity, arrogance and pretentiousness is odious to the extreme."

Troy nodded at that, and the young dragons laughed at Cyril's frustrated look.

* * *

><p>The next morning, after breakfast, Cyril took Spyro to the Dojo for his Ice training, while Astral, Botanica and Hydrus went out to the garden for their lessons. Troy was about to follow them out, when Hurricos called him over. The Wind dragon led him to the back passages of the Temple, where Troy found the humans he rescued from Dante's Freezer.<p>

"Ah, Troy," Argos said as he entered. "Good to see you again."

"You too," Troy beamed, shaking the older man's hand. "I believe you and Hurricos have something to ask me."

"Indeed," Argos confirmed. "You see, at the moment, you are the only Dragon Rider in the Realms. We were wondering if you and your friend, Astral, could teach some of us your skills. You will need help in the battles to come."

Troy thought for a moment then said slowly, "Yes, Argos. You're absolutely right. One Dragon Rider won't be enough against Cynder's armies. All right, I'll do it."

"Excellent," Argos cheered.

"I'll go see if Astral agrees to it," Troy said.

"And I'll get Master Ignitus," Hurricos added. "I'm sure he'll be honoured to preform the first Dragon Rider Initiation Ceremony in centuries."

Troy headed back through the Grotto to the gardens, where he found Astral shooting out perfect Bubble Snares which caught some dummies and suspended them in air, before she took them out with some air combos.

"Great job," Hydrus called out. "Now it's time to master the Water Fury. Just relax, and feel the waters rush through you like the currents of a river. See yourself as a mighty dam, holding the flood waters back. Then, when the time is right, release the water."

Astral stood in the middle of the garden as six Medium dummies appeared and charged forward. Just as they're about to reach her, she closed her eyes and focused her power and then she released a massive tidal wave at them, washing them away.

"Well done, Astral," Hydrus cheered. "You've mastered the element of Water!"

"All right," Astral cried. "That was exhilarating!"

"You can take a break for a while," Botanica said. "Then I'll help you master Plant."

"Astral, maybe you can help me," Troy said. He explained Argos' proposal to him.

"Seems fair," she said, nodding. "After all, we can't stay at the Temple all the time; the Guardians will need someone to protect it. Okay, I'll help out."

"And so will we," Hydrus called out.

"Yes," Botanica agreed. "We've been hiding out too long. It's time we helped out in the battles to come!"

With a smile, Troy led the dragons back into the Temple where they found Argos and Ignitus waiting for them with his people.

"Hurricos told me everything, young human," Ignitus explained. "I never thought I would see the day that the humans would join us in battle once again. Performing this ceremony would indeed be a great boost to our morale."

"I have informed them about our battles," Argos informed him. "You may speak to them now."

For a moment, Troy was nervous. He had never spoken to such a large group of people before. He turned to Astral, who smiled and nodded. Reassured by his friend, he turned back to the humans.

"Listen up," Troy began. "You've all suffered at the hands of these Apes, under the terrifying eye of Cynder. But now, you're all free and safe. But it's not going to stay that way forever. As long as Cynder still rules, you will never be truly free. But there is still hope even in these dark times. My friend, Spyro, has been destined to restore peace to the world. Likewise, I have been chosen to reform our ancestors' ties with the dragon race. Astral and I are the first of the Dragon Riders, but alone we might not be enough. Therefore, I ask you: will you join us in the battle to bring peace back to the Realms?"

At first, the humans didn't seem assured, but one by one, a cheer began to ring out that grew and grew, until the Temple resounded with the humans' shouts.

Troy nodded proudly. "Very well. At the moment, there are three other dragons waiting to aide you in our training. Who will volunteer?"

Argos stepped forward. "I will take that offer. I may be old, but there's still some fight in me left."

"I will help too," said a young swordsman with raven-black hair.

"As will I," added a blonde-haired middle-aged woman.

"Step forward," Troy declared.

As the humans came up, Ignitus spoke to them. "Argos I already know, but tell me your names and what skills you can do."

"My name is Godric," the young man answered. "I was one of the most skilled swordsman back in my home village."

"And I am Athena," the woman then said. "I'm one of the best archers in my home."

"Well then, kneel down, please," Ignitus told them.

As they obeyed, the Fire Guardian turned to Troy. "Draw out your sword."

Troy did so, and Ignitus turned back to the humans. "Do you hereby promise to uphold the ancient laws of the Dragon Riders; to protect the innocent and vanquish the wicked, to be true to your partner come what may, to never turn your back on the enemy and to offer up your lives in the face of combat?"

"We do," the humans replied.

Troy then stepped forward and tapped the flat of his sword on each of their shoulders.

"By the powers vested in me as a Guardian of the elements," Ignitus declared, "I hereby name you Dragon Riders! Step forward and claim your weapons."

It was then that Troy noticed several pieces of human and dragon armour lying nearby. "I thought my armour was the only set."

"Yours was the most special of them all," Ignitus explained. "We kept it separate from the other pieces especially for you. The rest of the armour had been stored away in a hidden room inside your chamber."

Soon, the humans had dressed themselves. Argos had collected a heavy war axe, Godric now wielded a silver sword and Athena had armed herself with a wooden bow and a quiver of steel-tipped arrows. At the same time, the other dragons were ready in their armour. Hurricos' bracers had sharp curves, Hydrus' armour was edged with bright blue trim and Botanica wore a helmet with a sharp point that stuck outwards like a second horn.

"Now your partner will be chosen for you," Ignitus told them. He then closed his eyes and focused.

"How does one's partner get chosen?" Troy asked.

"Master Ignitus is tuning himself into the Riders' thoughts," Astral explained. "Once that's done, he'll focus onto the dragons' thoughts and determine which is the most compatible with the humans. We were already chosen by the Ancestors to be partners; that's why you didn't have the ceremony."

Just then, Ignitus' eyes flicked open. "The choice has been made. Hurricos, you will be partnered with Argos."

"Makes sense," the Wind dragon replied. "Argos trusted me the most."

"Athena, you and Hydrus will be partners."

"Very well," Athena said, stepping next to Hydrus.

"Which means, I've been partnered with Godric," Botanica finished before Ignitus could speak.

"Alright," Troy then spoke up. "Ladies and gentlemen, both dragon and human, let's begin our training."

For the next few hours, Troy and Astral trained them in the basic skills of airborne combat, using flying dummies. Hurricos used his powers to suck the wind out from under the dummies wings before Argos took them out, sometimes with help from his partner's bracers. Hydrus used his coloured armour to hide out in the clouds before swooping down and catching the dummies off guard, allowing Athena to fire her arrows. Botanica slowed down her enemies with several Razor Leaves then dived forward and speared several off them with her helmet spike while Godric fought off the rest. It took quite a while, but soon Argos, Godric and Athena mastered the skills well.

Afterwards, Astral and Botanica went back to the garden for further training. Soon, Astral had mastered Vine Crush, then she learned the skill Razor Leaves, which involved shooting sharpened leaves with such velocity that they cut down her enemies. Finally, she mastered her Plant Fury, which involved bedazzling her foes with petals and leaves before unleashing a wave of energy as powerful as a hurricane which took them out.

Then she joined Troy as they watched Spyro finish his training, which, he said afterwards, was a lot harder than his last two training sessions, because Cyril was so strict.

* * *

><p>The next morning, they all met back at the Grotto, where Ignitus had some unusual news to tell them.<p>

"So, what exactly are you saying, Ignitus?" Cyril asked puzzled.

"Yes," Volteer agreed. "Your hypothesis is an intriguing one, but it's perplexing to the extreme."

"Huh?" Sparx asked.

"He says he doesn't know what he's talking about," Astral translated.

"Girl, I never know what he's saying," the dragonfly sighed.

"What I'm saying is that Cynder is preparing for a terrible moment," Ignitus explained. "She's searching amongst the young dragons for someone special, and she's also harnessing the Guardians' powers into those crystals. Both are needed as a powerful key to unlock a portal… that must never be opened."

"Why, what's behind this portal?" Troy asked.

Ignitus hesitated for a moment before answering, "That doesn't concern you right now, Troy. What does concern you is going with Spyro and Astral to Munitions Forge and freeing Terrador before Cynder can create another crystal from his power."

Volteer then added, "…and before the volcano, BOOM, blows its-"

"That's enough, Volteer," Ignitus interrupted. "There's plenty of time, plenty of time…"

"Plenty of time?" Sparx cried. "What, we need more time for horrible things to happen to us? Why didn't we just stay on Tall Plains? Oh, I'm a big deal there."

"Quit complaining, Sparx," Spyro said as they set off to the balcony. "Maybe there's a tribe on Munitions Forge you can save too."

"Yeah," the dragonfly sighed, "but there's always something special about the first tribe you save, you know."

As the group left the room, Ignitus sighed and muttered to himself, "Let's hope she doesn't find you, my apprentice…"

* * *

><p><strong>Oooohh, mysterious. Good place to finish.<strong>

**So now this is your last chance to give Astral a fourth element. Whatever you decide, I'll try and invent an OC to train her.**

**So, next time, Troy, Astral and Spyro travel to Munitions Forge and meet the Manweersmalls. So wait and see.**


	11. Into the Heat of Battle

**On to Chapter 10 and we're off to Munitions Forge!**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, just my OC's.**

**So let the adventures continue!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Into the Heat of Battle<p>

After a long voyage, Troy, Astral, Spyro and Sparx came upon a large cloud of smoke, which Astral explained meant they were approaching their destination. As they dived through the smoke to find a landing site, Troy called out, "So Astral, what can you tell us about this place?"

"If I remember correctly," she replied, "Munitions Forge is an island dominated by Boyzitbig."

"Boy-what's-big?" Troy shouted.

"Boyzitbig," Astral repeated. "It's an unstable volcano that makes life on the surface extremely dicey. Apparently, the locals, who normally live underground, are being forced to mine the metals that Cynder uses to forge her armies' weapons."

"What are the locals called?" Spyro yelled.

"They're a tribe of moles known as Manweersmalls."

"Why am I not surprised?" Troy muttered.

"Right," Sparx sighed. "Do I need to right that down?"

Astral glared at Sparx before continuing, "Ignitus tells me that a shipment of human slaves from the Broken Isles has recently arrived. He thinks the Apes need them to help the Manweersmalls in the mining tunnels. And rumour has it that Cynder is keeping Terrador somewhere in those mines."

"Well," Troy said. "We do know she's using him to power the last of the crystals needed to open this portal, so we must free him before she gets the chance."

Soon the group found a beach to land and looked up at the massive volcano on the horizon.

"Boy is it big!" Sparx gasped.

"I can see why they call it that," Troy agreed.

"Boy, it's big," Spyro said. "But no time for sightseeing, guys."

"Right," Astral nodded. "It's time to get serious. Let's go!"

"Ohhh… not again," Sparx groaned as Troy and the dragons set off.

Immediately, they ran into a troop of Apes, who tried to attack them. Astral tried to use her Plant element, but the heat simply shriveled them up. So she stuck to Fire and Water, while Spyro used his breaths to take out the Apes, and Troy used his sword and shield to fight. Once the Apes were defeated, they entered a tunnel and soon encountered a small mole with a long white moustache, a walking stick in one paw and a helmet with a candle on top.

"Man, he is small," Spyro whispered.

"Again, good name for them," Troy agreed.

Suddenly the mole spun round and held his stick above his head like a weapon. "What's that?" he cried out in a thick French accent. "Who's there?"

Troy held out his hands and called out, "Whoa, calm down. It's just us, Troy…"

"And Spyro."

"And Astral."

"And the former god of Tall Plains, Sparx."

The mole sniffed the air for a bit and then relaxed. "None of you carry the stench of Cynder's beasts, so you must be friends."

"We are," confirmed Troy, kneeling down to the mole's height. "And who are you?"

"I am Mole-Yair, leader of the Manweersmalls," the mole replied, then he sighed. "But I'm not much of a leader any more. Those of my people, who aren't mining for Cynder, are holed up in the caves, sacred out of their little wits, waiting for Boyzitbig to blow…"

On cue, a sudden tremor shook the ground, almost knocking Troy and the dragons off their feet. "Which shouldn't be long," Mole-Yair continued. "If you guys would help, perhaps there is something I can do for you?"

"I don't know," Spyro said. "We're here to rescue a big friend of ours."

"Is he a mighty dragon?" Mole-Yair asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Because I know where he's being kept," the Manweersmall leader said, triumphantly. "In the mines near a large labour camp, where my own brother, Exhumor, toils away. We can help each other."

"Tell me, Mole-Yair," Troy asked. "Have you heard any news about where the humans are being held?"

Mole-Yair thought for a moment, then he said, "Oh yes, now that you mention it, there were some news about some humans just arrived. While I was hiding underground, I heard those filthy Apes mention they were being kept in the labour camp with my brother."

"Well, which way do we go?" Astral asked. "What should we do next?"

"Oh, it's simple enough," Mole-Yair replied. "But you've got to hurry. Boyzitbig is getting more and more unstable by the minute. You must clear these caves before we can help your friend."

"And you're asking _him _for directions?" Sparx said. "Wow, talk about the blind leading the blind."

"Forget him, Mole-Yair," Troy sighed as he got to his feet. "We're in!"

The group set off down the tunnels and soon they came across some Manweersmalls working on the walls, their tiny ankles chained to a gem by an energy chain. The dragons easily smashed the gems, freeing the prisoners who quickly tunneled down into the ground. Further down, the mines split into two tunnels, so they divided into two groups; Troy and Astral went down the left tunnel and Spyro and Sparx went down the right. They each faced Apes and Fire Beetles, but they also rescued some Manweersmalls. They regrouped in a large cave where Mole-Yair was waiting for them.

"You did it, you did it," the Manweersmall leader cheered. "A thousand thanks." Then he surprised them all by grabbing Spyro's head and kissing his cheeks.

"It was no big deal," the purple dragon mumbled, pulling back.

"Hey, no problem, Mole-Yair," Astral giggled.

"Well, you did your part, now I will do mine," Mole-Yair said. "Your friend is being kept in the centre of the volcano, past the labour camp where my brother, Exhumor, is working. Find him and let him know we're friends, and he will tell you how to proceed."

"How will we know 'Exhumor'?" Troy asked, exaggerating Mole-Yair's accent.

"Yeah," Sparx agreed. "All you Man-are-we-smalls look the same to me."

"Oh you will know him, trust me," Mole-Yair chuckled. "He's the most cantankerous, hardnosed Manweersmall around. Whatever you do, don't get on his bad side."

"Come on, guys," Astral said. "Let's get going."

"Oh, one more thing, Astral," Mole-Yair called out as the group set off. "There are some rumours going around about some dragons your age being held captive. I thought you ought to know."

"Thanks, we'll keep our eyes open," Troy replied.

Down the mines they went, battling angry Apes, swarming Fire Beetles, deadly Magma Worms and massive Buffalo Beetles. Soon, they reached a clearing where a large bell hung over a platform. A long pull hung down, and Troy and the dragons came up to it.

"What's a bell doing in a volcano?" Troy wondered out loud.

Spyro sniffed at the pull and held out a paw to touch it. Then Sparx decided to be annoying again.

"I bet you can't ring that bell," he buzzed.

"Why would I want to?" Spryo asked.

"It doesn't look very sturdy," Astral agreed.

"Oh, you're scared," Sparx said.

"I'm not scared," Spyro scowled.

"Oh, the big special dragon is scared of the mean old bell," the dragonfly teased. "I didn't know that, I'm sorry… oh no, I'm sorry baby… why don't I get your pillow laid out?"

"Forget about it," Troy called out. "We have more important things to do."

But Spyro was angry at Sparx's mocking and didn't hear Troy. The dragon bashed the bell pull, which made the bell ring. Suddenly a crumbling noise rang out over their heads. Troy, Astral and Sparx leapt off the platform, but Spyro, still dazed from his charge, couldn't react in time as, moments later, the bell came crashing down on top of him.

"Oh no!" Astral gasped, running up to the bell.

"Now look what you did," Troy yelled at Sparx.

"I didn't know," the dragonfly cried out. "Spyro, can you hear me? Are you okay buddy?"

Troy struggled to lift the bell up, but it was no good. "It's too heavy," he groaned. "I can't lift it up. He's stuck in there."

"Spyro," Astral called out, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Please be okay, little brother. I know I only met you days ago, but… you're a good friend and I'm so glad to have been with you after all this time. I… I love you."

"Hey, listen," Sparx sobbed. "Forget about those cracks I made about your fatness, and your being purple and stupid and fat, alright? Just get out of there. Please Spyro, don't be dead."

Suddenly the bell shook like it was kicked by an invisible giant. Troy, Astral and Sparx jumped back as the bell shook again and again, and then blown apart by a burst of green energy… coming from Spyro's mouth!

"Spyro," Astral cried out, running up and grabbing him in a hug. "You're alive!"

"I sure am," Spyro beamed. "I heard everything you said to me, and I love you too." Then he looked over at his brother. "Sparx, did you say something?"

"Me? No," Sparx said, clearing his throat. "I was just talking out loud, thinking of my day I gotta do."

"Oh," Spyro replied. "I just thought I heard something from you before I blasted my way out of here."

"Oh, funny," Sparx muttered. "No, must have been hearing things."

Troy suppressed a giggle while Astral whispered, "You heard him too, right?"

"Definitely," Spyro sniggered.

"By the way," Troy said to Spyro as they set off down the tunnels again. "What was that you did?"

"I don't really know," Spyro admitted. "When the bell crashed over me, I felt the tremors of the ground flow through me, until I just wanted to let it out."

"It must be the Earth element," Astral pondered. "Terrador always said that's how he felt when he used it. He's the Earth Guardian after all; maybe he'll train you to-"

"Shh," Troy hissed suddenly. "I hear voices up ahead."

He and the dragons crept up to a cave entrance and peeked round. They saw a large station with two raised podiums on either end. There were train tracks in the middle, running to another tunnel and on the platform, next to a mighty steam train, three Apes were talking. One of them was wearing a conductor's hat and scarf and waving a shovel over his head.

"Come on, ya worthless waste of flesh, let's go," he shouted. "We gotta hop on Steam and get back to that flea-bitten dragon. The crystal should be almost ready and the volcano's right on the brink."

The other two Apes climbed onto the train's caboose, while the Conductor leapt on the train and set it off down the tracks.

"That train must be going deep into Boyzitbig," Astral surmised.

"Come on, guys," Spyro cried out. "We've got to catch them."

But as they dashed out, the Apes on the podiums and the platform spotted them, and each pulled a lever next to them which caused a massive door to close over the tunnel that the train just passed through.

"Now what do we do?" Astral groaned.

"Easy," Troy said. "There are three levers and three of us, so…"

"I get you," Spyro smiled. "Let's do it."

Astral ran up the nearest podium, Troy darted to the platform and Spyro dashed off to the further podium. Troy was blocked by a Large Ape who threw sticks of dynamite at the human, but Troy grabbed one stick and flung it back at the Ape, seconds before it exploded. With the Ape dead, Troy pulled the lever and watched as one of the bolts on the door slid back.

Spyro meanwhile used his new Earth Shot to knock the Small Apes off the podium, before pulling the lever there. Astral however was struggling with two Medium Apes who easily knocked her down. Angrily, she opened her mouth to shoot out flames… but instead a beam of light blue energy shot out, hit one of the Apes and froze him in front of her. Astral swung her head round to shout down at Troy, but just as she did so, the Ape she hit flew straight into the one next to him and they both fell off the podium.

Troy gasped in astonishment. "Astral, what was… how did you do that?"

"I don't know," she breathed. "But I think… that was the Psychic element!"

"Psychic?" Spyro asked as he joined Troy on the platform. "I've never heard of it."

"It's an incredibly rare element," she called down. "It gives you the ability to move objects and enemies with your mind. I guess when I thought about turning to Troy, my powers must have decided to fly the Ape the same way." She then pulled her lever, and soon the door slid open.

"The next question is," Troy wondered, "how do we catch up to that train?"

"Maybe this can help," Spyro called out, pointing to a large mine car lying on its side by one of the podiums. "But how do we get it on the tracks?"

"Allow me," Astral said. She then shot another Psychic Beam at the mine car, then she lifted her head and turned it to the tracks behind her. The mine car rose into the air and landed gently onto the tracks. Troy and the dragons leapt into the car and Troy grabbed the lever in front of him.

"Wait," Sparx cried out. "You don't know how to drive this thing."

"How hard can it be?" Troy asked, shrugging. "It's on rails."

"Famous last words," Sparx groaned as Troy pushed the lever forward and the mine car set off down the tracks.

* * *

><p><strong>And I'll stop there.<strong>

**So Astral has learned the Psychic element. My thanks go to D. J. Scales for suggesting it. Now I'll introduce a new OC for training her.**

**So, next episode, some new characters appear, Troy finds his mother and friends at the labour camp and the group faces Steam in the centre of the volcano; plus a shocking twist in the story. Wait and see**


	12. Volcanic Disruptions

**I'm back for Chapter 11, and part two of the Munitions Forge mission.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, just my OC's.**

**So off we go again.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Volcanic Disruptions<p>

Within minutes, Troy's mine car caught up with Steam. When the Apes on the caboose saw them, they grabbed sticks of dynamite and began throwing them at the car, but Astral and Spyro pushed on the car's sides, leaning it left and right to avoid getting hit. The dragons then shot fireballs at the Apes, while Troy sped up the car and rammed it into the caboose. After a few more attacks, the Apes were knocked off and Troy took this moment to leap onto the train and get inside the caboose.

Onboard, Troy was shocked to discover three dragons crammed into one largish cage. One was yellow with whitish stripes and bright blue wings, one was light red with pale orange horns and one was dark blue with cream wings and horns.

"Who are you?" the dark blue dragon yelled out. "Are you working with the Apes?"

"No," Troy replied. "I'm working with the dragon Guardians. Are you friends of Astral?"

The imprisoned dragons gasped. "She – She's alive?" the yellow dragon stammered.

"Yes," Troy nodded. "Now hold tight, I'll get you out of here."

He then ran to the other side of the caboose and cut the cables attaching it to Steam. The caboose fell back on the mine car behind it, and Astral, Sparx and Spyro leapt on board, moments before the car was knocked off the rails.

When Astral saw the imprisoned dragons, she gasped in amazement. "Tesla! Banshee! Cosmo!" she cried. "Are you all right?"

"They're stuck in a cage with hardly any room to stretch," Sparx said sarcastically. "I don't think they're all right."

Troy found the key on a small table nearby and opened the cage, letting the other dragons out. But before anyone could speak, WHAM! The caboose was suddenly rammed from behind. Troy saw through the back door that Steam had come up from the back and was now smashing into them.

"The Conductor's gonna knock us off the tracks!" the red dragon gasped.

"Hold tight, guys," Troy shouted as he ran to the levers at the front. "I'll get us out of here!"

He thrust one lever forward and the caboose shot ahead, outpacing Steam by several feet. Moments later, the track divided and Steam disappeared. But then, Troy realized that the track was about to run short.

"We're going to have to jump!" Troy yelled out. "COME ON!"

Spyro led the charge to the back door and the group leapt out of the caboose, moments before it flew off the tracks and into a lava pool.

"Phew," Astral sighed as they watched it sink. "That was close."

"I think I'll stick to flying," Troy groaned. "Come on, let's go."

As they walked down the other tracks, Astral introduced her friends to the other dragons: the yellow dragon was Tesla, an Electric dragon; the red dragon was Banshee, a Fear dragoness and the blue dragon was Cosmo, a Psychic dragon. She also explained how the three dragons were also born in the Temple with her, and how they left for Warfang, the Dragon City, when they were old enough to fly.

Cosmo then told them how he, Banshee and Tesla aided the citizens during the war. Then when news that the Guardians were captured reached them, they decided to go out and look for them. They searched for months, before stopping at Boyzitbig for a rest where they were caught by the Apes and imprisoned for weeks, before hearing that Cynder wanted to see them.

"…and we were on our way to the centre of the volcano, until you came along," Cosmo finished.

"Cynder's definitely looking for something special," Astral murmured. "What could she possibly want with them?"

Soon, the little group entered a tunnel and passed through to the other side, where they saw a Manweersmall who looked like Mole-Yair, only with a smaller moustache. As they approached him, he suddenly spun round and raised his walking stick in the air.

"Wait, wait, wait," Spyro cried out. "We're on your side."

"More likely spies for the Conductor," the Manweersmall growled, "or that flying beast, Cynder."

"Exhumor, wait," Troy called out. "Mole-Yair sent us."

Exhumor let out a gasp. "M-My brother is alive?"

"He sure is, pal," Sparx replied. "He's all safe and sound, but I've gotta say, he's the friendlier one in the family."

"I'm sorry," Exhumor apologized, lowering his stick down. "I'm sorry, but in these dark times, one cannot take chances." Then he began to laugh with delight. "So Mole-Yair's alive? Oh, wonderful news! But why did he send you here?"

"Well," Astral explained. "He said you may be able to tell us where our friend, Master Terrador, is."

"If he is a mighty dragon, I certainly can," Exhumor said, turning back to the tunnel exit. Troy and the dragons looked out to an incredible sight. A massive prison yard lay before them, Apes of various sizes spread out among the many buildings and small lava pools. From a few smaller huts, Troy could hear the frightened squeaks of Manweersmalls, and from two larger ones, the agonized shouts of humans.

Exhumor continued, "The majority of the Manweersmalls are being kept in this camp, forced to live above ground and mine for Cynder. Recently, some humans have been brought up to aide in the mining, and they have been locked in here too. And there are rumours that your dragon friend is being kept somewhere inside, in the darkest pits of the volcano. All of us are doomed," he finished with a sigh.

"Not if we have anything to say about it," Troy said determinedly.

"What do you mean?" Exhumor asked.

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Cosmo repeated.

"He means we're going to free the Manweersmalls and the humans…" Astral said.

"Then venture to the darkest pits of Boyzitbig…" Spyro continued.

"And find Terrador," Troy finished.

"Then it's off to karaoke," Sparx added.

"We're with you guys," Tesla said, and Cosmo and Banshee nodded too.

Troy and the dragons charged into the camp, ready for battle. The Apes spotted them and went on the attack.

Astral was attacked by two Medium Apes who drove her to the edge of a lava pool, but Astral quickly fired her Water Stream into the lava, creating a cloud of steam which blocked the Apes' view. While they were distracted, she charged into them and took them out.

Tesla, meanwhile, launched himself into an Electric Whirlwind, knocking several Apes into the air and into the lava. Banshee let out a volley of Siren Screams which terrified the Apes into submission, allowing her to defeat them.

Cosmo sent some Apes flying with his Psychic Beam but several others gathered around him. Focusing his powers, he turned to face the Apes with glowing blue eyes. Suddenly some of the Apes behind him turned and attacked the ones behind them!

Astral stared at the sight in amazement. "What is that?"

"Illusion Stare," Cosmo replied. "It makes any enemy believe that anyone other than the caster is dangerous and will attack them instead of you for a while."

"I've learned Psychic recently," she called. "You have to teach that to me when we get back to the Temple."

"Will do," Cosmo agreed, taking out the surviving Apes.

Spyro fired a volley of Icicle Spears at some Small Apes, freezing them solid. As two Medium Apes charged in, he fired an Earth Shot at them, knocking them down. He then fired an Electric Arc at one Ape before knocking him into the lava, then took out the other with Fire Breath.

Troy confronted the Large Ape, who launched a stream of fire from its staff, but Troy flung his cloak over his head and was protected from the heat. Then he swung his sword forward and cut right through the staff, breaking it in two. The Large Ape raised a paw to crush him but Troy blocked it with his shield then thrust his sword into the Ape's chest.

With the Apes dead, Troy and the dragons went for the huts. Spyro, Astral and her friends freed the Manweersmalls, while Troy went for the huts that held the human prisoners. As he unlocked the first one, a familiar face made his heart rise a mile. A middle-aged woman with golden hair and eyes just like his; it was his mother, Cassandra.

"Mother!" he called out.

"Troy, my son," she cried, pushing through the crowd and throwing her arms around him. "I knew you'd be safe!"

"I'm so glad to see you," Troy sobbed, tears streaming down his face. Then he noticed something wrong. "Where's my brother, Orion?"

"I don't know," Cassandra said. "When the Apes captured us, we were separated. I think he went on one of the other boats, but I don't know where they went…"

"Don't worry, Mom," Troy said, determinedly. "I'll find him and the others, and bring them back safe." He then freed the other prisoners from the second hut and then rejoined the dragons.

"Hey, Troy," Astral called out. "You've found the humans, good job."

"Look out!" one of the humans yelled. "More dragons!"

"Stop!" Troy yelled. "They won't hurt you; they're my friends! They're not like Cynder at all."

"Your friends?" another human asked.

"Yes, my friends. The purple one is called Spyro; he's destined to defeat Cynder and free the Realms. The others are Tesla, Banshee and Cosmo…" Troy then smiled. "And the golden dragon is Astral; she's my partner." He held up his arm to show the mark. "See this? Astral has the same mark too. It means that we are destined to lead the next generation of Dragon Riders!"

The humans were somewhat confused by this, but Cassandra was pleased. "I always knew you were destined for greatness."

Their conversation was interrupted at that moment by the arrival of two Manweersmalls; Exhumor and his brother, Mole-Yair.

"I see you two crazy kids found each other," Astral beamed.

"Yes, at last," Mole-Yair cheered, "thanks to you guys."

"We're just disappointed you didn't leave any fun for us," Exhumor joked.

"Maybe next time," Spyro said. "So now, which way to Terrador?"

"That way," said Exhumor, pointing to a large tunnel behind the humans' former cells. "But be careful," he warned. "The Conductor and his maniacal locomotive will surely be close by."

"When you say be careful," Sparx said slowly, "does that mean try not to die? I'm trying to do that anyway."

"Just one more thing, Exhumor," Troy then said, before turning to the humans. "Mom, where were the boats that took you here?"

"Further back down the other tunnel, near where the tracks divide," Cassandra recalled.

"Mole-Yair, can you lead my people to them?" he then asked the Manweersmall leader.

"Yes, I think I can," Mole-Yair agreed.

"Right." Troy then addressed the humans. "Listen to me, all of you. Once you're on the boats, set sail back to the mainland. Tesla, Banshee and Cosmo will lead you to the Temple. There you will meet the Guardians and tell them I sent you. They'll keep you safe."

The humans let out a ragged cheer and set off down the first tunnel, with Mole-Yair, Tesla, Banshee and Cosmo in the lead. Troy then turned to Exhumor. "Alright," he said to the mole, "now you must get all the Manweersmalls underground, where they belong."

At that moment, another massive tremor shook the ground, this time knocking Troy and his friends off their feet. "Yes," Exhumor agreed. "It won't be long now…"

So, as the Manweersmalls burrowed into the ground, Troy, Spyro, Astral and Sparx set off down the other tunnel as fast as they could.

* * *

><p>After a long trek through the catacombs of Boyzitbig, battling with Apes, Dreadwings, Buffalo Beetles, Magma Worms and Fire Beetles, the group soon reached a massive arena covered with a circle of railroad tracks. At the back, a large greenish crystal stood next to a massive cage, draining energy from a huge green dragon.<p>

Spyro gasped. "Is that… Terrador?"

"A big dragon being held prisoner in the centre of an exploding volcano?" Sparx pondered sarcastically. "I'm guessing that's Terrador."

"Looks like Cynder hasn't collected the crystal yet," Astral observed. "There's still time to save him."

"Careful, guys," Troy warned with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "It's never this easy."

"After the last two times, you're not gonna get an argument from me, chief," Sparx said grimly.

At that moment, a huge train thundered into the arena, coming to a stop in the centre. On top of it, there glowered a familiar Ape.

"Oh, here we go again," Sparx groaned.

"It's the Conductor!" Astral cried.

The Conductor sneered down at the group. "You're a little late, fellas," he growled. "The crystal's already charged and the volcano's ready to blow, but before it does, me and Steam here are gonna take great pleasure in running you down… but not you, golden dragon. Cynder still needs you for her plans."

"What are you talking about?" Astral cried.

But the Conductor ignored her and put his train up to speed, almost running over Troy and Spyro. Then he set off in pursuit of the group. Round and round the circle he went, urging Steam faster and faster.

"If he keeps going like that," Spyro gasped as they raced ahead of Steam, "he's gonna crash straight into us."

"That's it," Troy realized. "I know what to do… follow me." And he led the dragons down a turning and straight to the other side. And then he stopped at the wall.

"Troy, what are you doing?" Astral panted.

"Just jump when I say so," the human told them. At that moment, Steam turned the corner they'd just turned and bore down on them. "NOW!" Troy cried and the group leapt to the side. The Conductor was unable to stop in time and Steam crashed into the wall.

Spyro and Astral then launched a volley of fire at the back of the train, boiling up all the water inside into steam. Troy meanwhile climbed onto the cab and held his sword to the Conductor's throat. "Now tell me," the human snapped. "What does Cynder want with Astral?"

The Conductor just chuckled. "You really have no idea? This is why you humans will fail."

With incredible strength, the Ape pushed Troy out of the cab and started the train up again. Unfortunately, the water had already boiled away, meaning the train couldn't produce enough steam for power, so soon the train started to overheat as it reached the cage, and seconds later – KABOOOOOMMMMM! The train exploded with enough force to break the cage open and knock Terrador free.

"Master Terrador!" Astral cried, running up to the fallen Guardian.

The big green dragon got to his feet, stretched his big brown wings and flexed his club-ended tail before looking round. "Young Astral," his deep voice boomed out. "Glad am I to see you again." Then he saw Troy and Spyro approaching and gasped. "The purple dragon and the Rider lives!"

"They got names, you know," Sparx sighed.

"Yes," the little dragon nodded. "My name is Spyro."

"And mine's Troy," the human added. "And you must be Terrador."

"Yes, yes I am," Terrador beamed. "And I must say, I never thought I'd live to meet you two."

"Look," Sparx put in nervously, "I'd love to stay here and hug everybody and chit-chat, but… how 'bout we leave before the volcano blows us up?"

"You're right," Terrador agreed. "I've got to tell the others what Cynder's up to."

"Right," Troy said. "Let's get going."

"I'm right behind you," Sparx cried, flying overhead. "Actually I'm right in front of you, but you know what I mean…"

Suddenly the ground began to shake beneath the group's feet and moments later, a massive black shape burst out of the lava right in front of them. The figure spread its massive wings, revealing a huge dragon with a red underbelly, six pointed horns on its head and a tail ending in a sharpened blade.

"IT'S CYNDER!" Troy gasped in horror.

"Run!" Terrador yelled.

"Look, when the guy says run, I think he knows something," Sparx gulped.

As Troy and the dragons ran for cover, Cynder dived out of the sky and plucked the crystal out of its pedestal. Terrador then took off after her, but just as he caught up to the dragonelle, Cynder lashed out with her tail and knocked him down to the ground.

"MASTER TERRADOR!" Astral cried out.

Terrador rose to his feet, just as some rocks began to fall. He leapt into the air again to avoid them and turned to the group. "Go, young ones!" he bellowed. "Fly like you've never flown before! I'll go back to the Temple for help."

As he flew off, Cynder then turned her attention to the group and letting out a roar, dived straight towards them.

"Come on," Astral yelled. "Let's get out of here, quick!"

Spyro took off immediately while Troy leapt onto Astral's back and clung onto the saddle. She took so quickly that Troy didn't have time to put his feet in the stirrups.

Down into the tunnels of the volcano they flew, desperate to escape from Cynder. They dodged cannon fire, Dreadwings and Cynder's Shadow Fire and soon they came to a stone wall ahead of them.

"It's a dead end!" Troy cried.

"Hold on tight!" Astral yelled.

Lowering her head and flatting her wings, Astral took off like a missile and burst straight through the volcano's side, out into the open. Spyro took off after them but Cynder was also behind them.

She was just about to grab Astral and Troy, when suddenly a flash of red slammed into her side. Astral turned and gasped in horror. "Master Ignitus!" she cried.

And it was. Ignitus was struggling with Cynder, but she was just too powerful. Astral narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "He needs my help! Let's go!"

She swooped down so fast that Troy lost his grip and fell off her back. He closed his eyes as he plummeted through the sky, and seconds later – WHUMPH! He crashed into something hard and… scaly? He opened his eyes and discovered he was on the back of a familiar dark blue dragon. "Cosmo?"

"That's me," Cosmo smiled. "Master Terrador said you needed help, and he was right."

Troy looked to see where Astral was, and he spotted her just as she crashed into Cynder's side. Cynder was stunned only for a moment before she grabbed Astral in her claws. With an angry roar, Ignitus slammed into the larger dragoness so hard that they all plummeted down into the smoke of the erupting volcano and were lost from sight.

"ASTRAL, NOOOO!" Troy screamed.

"Don't worry, we'll get after them!" Cosmo yelled.

Spyro, who'd been watching the fight, flew up to Troy and Cosmo and they all set off towards the smoke. But then, Terrador flew up and barred their way.

"We've got to find them," Spyro cried. "Help Ignitus and Astral!"

"They're gone, guys," Sparx sighed. "There's nothing we can do."

"I don't care," Spyro argued. "Ignitus and Astral wouldn't leave us…"

"We have to go," Cosmo agreed. "Cynder's gonna hurt them or something…"

"Spyro, Cosmo, Sparx is right," Terrador said softly.

"I'm right?" Sparx boggled. "Oh my god, that's a first."

"Yes," Terrador continued. "You'll never find them in this mess, and Spyro's not ready to face Cynder yet. The time to fight will come, but it is not now."

Spyro looked ready to argue again, but then he sighed. "I guess you're right."

Cosmo nodded grimly. "Let's go."

As Terrador led the little group home, Troy looked down into the smoke. _I'm sorry, Astral, _he thought. _I let you down__…_

* * *

><p><strong>*gasp* What a shocking ending to such a long chapter!<strong>

**So, next time, Spyro's training and we learn the truth about Astral's role.**

**So until next time….**


	13. Final Preparations

**I'm now on Chapter 12, so now we learn a shocking truth! Incidentally, I'm sorry if this is so late; the Internet wasn't working for me for days.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, just my OC's.**

**So now… let's continue.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: Final Preparations<p>

As dawn began to break, Troy, Spyro, Terrador and Cosmo arrived back at the Temple. Volteer, Cyril and the other younger dragons were waiting with high hopes on the balcony, but when Terrador told them the news about Ignitus and Astral, their hopes crashed. As they met in the Grotto to discuss their next moves, Spyro told them all about what happened.

"… It's my fault," he finished sadly. "I've failed Ignitus and Astral when they needed me most. It's just that the sight of Cynder so close just… just…"

"Made your heart stop?" Sparx put in.

"Put ice in your veins?" Botanica added.

"Scared the crud out of you?" Hydrus included.

"Yeah… something like that," Spyro muttered.

"You weren't the only one," Troy sighed, his head bowed. "I failed them too. When I saw Cynder back at the volcano, it reminded me of the day she attacked my village. I couldn't face her, she's just so… terrifying. And when Astral went back for Ignitus and Cosmo caught me, I wanted to help, but…" He trailed off with a sob.

"I'm sorry, guys," Cosmo murmured. "If I'd come a lot faster, Astral would still be here… and so would Master Ignitus."

"All warriors feel fear at one time or another, young ones," Terrador said consolingly. "There's no shame in that…"

"Yes," Volteer interrupted. "It's a proving scientific fact that the quotient between adrenaline and trepidation-"

"Volteer, please," Cyril cried impatiently. "I believe our good friend here was trying to make a point."

"Thank you, Cyril," Terrador sighed. "What I was going to say is that all warriors feel fear, Spyro and Troy, but only the most valiant among us can face that fear and master it. From what I saw of you and Astral on Munitions Forge, you are such warriors." Then he turned to Spyro and continued, "Young dragon, the time has come to complete your training. Now is the time to face your fear. Come."

Terrador set off for the Dojo, and Spyro set off after him. Sparx followed too, muttering, "Am I the only one still petrified?"

Troy watched them leave, then turned and left for the garden. Cyril and Volteer swapped worried looks then they set off after Troy, and Cosmo followed them too.

They found Troy by the large tree in the centre of the garden. He was leaning against the roots, head bowed and sword lying in front of him. He didn't look up when the dragons drew near, but simply muttered, "What do you want?"

"Are you ok?" Volteer said. "We're terribly worried, anxious, troubled, concerned about you."

"What Volteer means is, whatever is the trouble, young human?" Cyril added.

Troy sighed and shook his head. "I can't do this…"

"What do you mean?" Cyril asked worriedly.

"Terrador's wrong, I'm no warrior," the young human moaned, fresh tears building in his eyes. "I couldn't save my family and I couldn't save my friends. Fighting Apes, Golems and Magma Worms are one thing, but Cynder's just too much for me. I don't think I'm worthy to be a Dragon Rider…"

"You can't just give up," Cosmo yelled. "Astral's out there; she needs you."

Troy raised his head and shouted, "You don't know what it's like to see Cynder swooping down on you and letting out that terrible roar! You don't know how it feels to see your own friends and family getting taking by her and not being able to do anything about it because you're just so scared! Do you know how it feels?"

"I do," Cosmo said. "Cynder did attack me and my friends when we stopped at Munitions Forge, but we never gave up hope. We knew there were others out there, and that sooner or later they come and find us. You and Spyro and Astral came and saved us. Yes we were afraid, but we're not going to let our fears get in the way of the battles to come."

Troy understood the sense in that, but he still felt depressed. "Well, I sure can't help you with that."

"Listen to me, Troy," Cyril suddenly spoke up. "Unless you act now, Astral's going to die!"

"What?" Troy gasped, jumping to his feet. "What do you mean, die?"

"When Ignitus told you about Cynder's plan," the Ice Guardian continued, "he mentioned that she was looking through the younger dragons for someone special. Astral is that someone."

"Uh, Cyril," Volteer spoke up. "I really don't think that Troy can handle the reality of-"

"Zip it for once, Volteer," Cyril yelled. "Troy deserves to know the truth!" With that, he turned back to the Rider. "Listen, Troy. We already know what Cynder's up to. As well as our powers, she needs the blood of a dragon bearing the mark of the Rider for that portal. After they get it, Astral will no longer be useful, so they'll kill her."

"No," Troy breathed. "They can't…"

"They can and they will," Volteer agreed. "Unless you recuperate from your depression and summon the courage to liberate your partner, I fear she will meet a terrible expiration."

"You always relied on Astral for your missions," Cosmo added. "Now she needs you more than ever. Are you really going to leave her to her fate?"

As the Guardians returned to the Grotto, Troy was silent, a look of fear across his face.

* * *

><p>The next day, after Spyro had completed his training, he and the Guardians gathered back at the Grotto for a final meeting.<p>

"You've done well, Spyro," Terrador said proudly.

"Yes, yes, pat on the back, good going, all that sort of rubbish but we've got to get moving here," Cyril cried impatiently.

Volteer let out a heavy sigh. "Cyril is terribly obnoxious, but in this case, he happens to be right, Terrador. Ignitus and Astral are the final pieces to Cynder's puzzle. If that last crystal is powered, and if they get Astral's blood, the portal will open and we'll all be done for."

"I know, I know," Terrador murmured. "When I was on Munitions Forge, I overheard the Conductor say that Cynder's final preparations will take place at her lair, where she lives in solitude among the clouds and the towers. I am certain that's where she taken Ignitus and Astral."

Spyro got to his feet and said, "We have to go. Come on."

But Terrador shook his head sadly. "I'd give anything to go with you, young warrior, but that crystal sapped the last of my will. I fear my fighting days are over."

"Every generation must pass the torch onto the next, Terrador," Volteer consoled. "Our time is done."

"Yes, it is Spyro's time to shine," Cyril agreed. "Now go to it, young dragon!"

"Yes sir," Spyro cried and headed towards the Dojo.

"Wait, I'm coming too," a voice rang out.

The dragons turned to find Troy standing in the open doorway to the garden, Cosmo by his side. "I want to come too. Cosmo's right, I can't let my fear cloud my judgement. That's not what Astral would have wanted."

"I'm coming with him," Cosmo added, already dressed in his armor. "He needs a way to get to Cynder's Lair, and Astral's learned Psychic Breath. She'll need someone to train her."

"You're a brave dragon, Cosmo," Terrador beamed. "And Troy, you really are a valiant warrior. Now go and save your friend."

"I will," Troy cried. "Come on, let's get going."

"Right," Spyro nodded.

"Wow," Sparx smiled. "You guys make even me want to face Cynder." As they headed out to the balcony, he added quietly, "Did I say that out loud?"

* * *

><p>As Astral slowly came to, she felt something was wrong. She opened her eyes and found herself in a dark unfamiliar room. She struggled to remember how she got here, then it all came back to her. She was trying to rescue Ignitus, when Cynder grabbed her and then Ignitus dived at them, they were falling and then… nothing.<p>

"Master Ignitus?" she called out. She tried to stand up, but she couldn't. Then she noticed some large chains around her neck and legs, pinning her to the floor. "Master Ignitus, where are you?"

"Don't waste your breath, little one," said a silky whisper from the shadows. "Your master can't hear you."

"What have you done with him?" Astral called out. "Show yourself."

Seconds later, she regretted that last remark as Cynder herself emerged from the darkness. "Welcome to my lair, little golden friend," she hissed. "I hope you're quite comfortable."

"Not really," Astral said, trying to sound braver than she actually is. "If you could loosen these chains a bit, then I'll be fine."

"But you're not fine, are you?" Cynder sneered, swishing her tail-blade from side to side. "All this time, I've been searching for you, hunting down the younger dragons looking for the mark of the Dragon Rider. Now at last, we've found you and I can release my Masters from their prison…"

Astral gulped. "What are you talking about?"

"I might as well tell you, since you'll die after we're done with you," the dark dragoness growled. "You see, the Guardians' powers are needed to open the main portal and free the Dark Master, but there is a greater prison inside. It was locked by the great Dragon Rider, Trafalgar, and it contains the deadliest force in the world, the Dark Lord. All it needs is the blood of a dragon bearing the Rider's mark…"

"Me?" Astral realized with horror.

"Yes, you," Cynder whispered. "Now this will only take a second…"

Astral tried to pull away, but the chains held down, so she could only watch in terror as Cynder raised her tail-blade and brought it slowly down towards her…

* * *

><p><strong>Freaky stuff! And that's where this chapter ends.<strong>

**Next chapter, Troy, Spyro and Cosmo arrive at Concurrent Skies, but will they be too late?**

**So, until next time….**


	14. Quantum of Solaris

**On to Chapter 13 and the penultimate mission for Spyro and Troy.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, just my OC's.**

**So… let's get cracking!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 13: Quantum of Solaris<p>

After a long flight, Spyro, Troy and Cosmo arrived at a large field surrounded by towering blue crystals. Every now and then, a bolt of lightning flew out of the storm clouds and struck one of the crystals. At the back, they could see some gigantic black building and a tall tower in the middle, pointing at the stormy sky like a giant's finger. As they landed, Troy turned to Cosmo and asked, "Do you know about this place?"

"Only from what I've heard," the Psychic Dragon said grimly. "They say Cynder's Lair is where hope goes to die. It's a dark foreboding place in which Cynder broods and skulks and plans her next move. This place used to be known as Concurrent Skies, before Cynder and her soldiers invaded. Terrador says that some humans have been brought here and forced to become training dummies for Cynder's Armies. We must rescue them and then make our way to the fortress, where I'm sure Ignitus and Astral are being held."

Sparx gulped. "Next time I say I want to face Cynder, why don't you just go ahead and punch me in the mouth?"

"No problem," Spyro smiled.

As they set off, a loud screech suddenly rang out. They looked up in time to see a Medium Ape run off into the crystalline forest.

"Cosmo," Sparx scowled. "Everything you said made it sound like this place was uninhabited."

"Now what fun would that be?" Spyro chuckled.

"Come on, guys," Troy cried. "We've got to take him out!"

With that, the group set off after the Ape. Soon, in a large clearing next to a small building, they caught up with it, just as a whole troop of Small Apes came charging in, followed by a Large Ape who activated an electric barrier around them. "It's a trap!" Cosmo cried.

"Let's do this," Troy yelled, drawing his sword.

He and the dragons charged forward into the troop. Troy took out several Small Apes with his sword and knocked some back with his shield. Spyro blasted some Apes back with Earth Shot and sent the Medium Ape flying with a well-aimed Earth Tornado. Cosmo used a Psychic Beam to catch a Small Ape and sent it flying back into the others.

Just as it looked like Troy and the dragons were winning, a Dreadwing swooped out of the sky and dropped a large casket right next to them. It split as it hit the ground and a new platoon of Apes charged out.

"You've gotta be kidding," Troy groaned.

"Stand back, guys," Cosmo called out. "Let me handle these butt-ugly furballs!"

The Psychic dragon leapt into the middle of the clearing and closed his eyes. Troy and Spyro stared in horror as the Apes began to close in. Then suddenly, Cosmo's body glowed with an eerie blue light and his eyes snapped open. Before the Apes knew it, their bodies were glowing too, and then they floated up into the air and spun around Cosmo's head as he lifted onto his hind legs. Then he stamped his feet down and the Apes smashed into the ground around him.

"Whoa," Troy, Spyro and Sparx gasped as Cosmo looked up and smiled.

"That was my Psychic Fury," he proclaimed.

Troy then saw the barrier fading into nothing and then the door of the building flew open. "Come on, guys," he called out. "Let's get going."

* * *

><p>Despite a few more attacks by Apes, the group passed through the building without incident and soon, they exited into another clearing. Sparx flew out a little way to scout the area, but as he did, Troy spotted something on the horizon. He turned round to see – and gasped. "Sparx, get back here! Cynder's coming!"<p>

Sparx spun round in time to see the dragoness swooping down towards him, but it was too late to escape. He let out a scream as Cynder hit him with her wing and knocked him to the ground.

"SPARX!" Spyro cried, running up to his fallen brother. Troy and Cosmo came over too. "Are you all right?"

Sparx looked up weakly and raised a hand. "I can't talk," he groaned exaggeratedly. "Heart… breaking up…"

Cosmo shook his head with a chuckle. "I think he'll live."

"Come on," Troy said seriously. "Ignitus and Astral are waiting."

Sparx sighed and flew up. "You've got no respect for the dead, you know."

"No," Troy countered. "I've just got no time for silly jokes. Now let's get going."

But as they left, Cosmo looked up at where Cynder just left and frowned. _She was carrying some sort of vial in her claws, _he thought._ What was she up to?_

After a while they came up to the largest building of all, in front of the tall tower rising up to the sky. Sparx let out a whistle of admiration. "Her architect must have been a beauty."

"We'll have to pass through this building to reach the tower," Cosmo explained. "Our friends should be there. Come on."

The group set off through the building, fighting off any Apes that attacked them, and soon they were out the other side, looking up at the tower that lay ahead of them. "Still don't like it," Sparx muttered.

"Still doesn't matter," Spyro argued. "Ignitus and Astral need us."

"I'm not complaining," Sparx retorted. "I'm just saying it would be easier if she were smaller… a lot smaller."

Just then, a loud cry of pain rang out. Troy gasped. "I know that voice," he cried. "That's my brother, Orion! Come on!" And he charged towards the tower, Spyro, Sparx and Cosmo close behind.

Soon, they reached a large clearing at the base of the tower. It was filled with Apes… and humans! The humans were dressed in flimsy leather armour and the Apes were attacking them mercilessly, slashing with their claws and diving at them, teeth bared. Troy's heart sank as he spotted his older brother being beaten by a Medium Ape.

"This is horrible," Spyro breathed sadly. "Those poor humans…"

"Forced into mock battle against those Apes," Cosmo agreed. "And those fleabags have an unfair advantage…"

"What do you say we even the odds?" Troy asked grimly.

"Right, let's go!" Cosmo yelled. And they leapt right into the clearing.

"Alright, you ugly furballs," Troy yelled. "Let those humans go!"

The Apes spun round and screeched angrily, but the humans let out a cheer. Troy charged right in and took out the Medium Ape. Spyro and Cosmo launched into a flurry of elemental attacks; the Apes were burned, shocked, frozen, blasted and flung about - all at the same time!

Soon the Apes were defeated, and Troy quickly ran to his brother's side. "Orion!" he gasped, seeing how badly wounded he was. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Orion grunted, getting stiffly to his feet. "Training certainly didn't prepare me for this. Troy, our mother, she was captured too…"

"It's okay," Troy interrupted. "She's safe. I rescued her too, thanks to my friends."

Orion turned and spotted Spyro and Cosmo. "I saw them fighting the Apes. Are they friendly?"

"I can vouch for them," Troy replied.

"Greetings, brother of Troy and other humans!" Cosmo spoke. "I am Cosmo, and this is Spyro and Sparx. We have aided the Dragon Rider in his quest to save you."

"Dragon Rider?" Orion asked.

But before Troy could reply, the ground began to shake. Seconds later, the tower's doors were violently flung open and a massive figure stomped into the clearing. It was the same size as the Ice King from Dante's Freezer, but its armour was black and its body seemed to be made of purple lightning. It flung its arms back and let out a gurgling roar.

"It's the Electric King!" the other humans screamed, fleeing from the clearing. "Run for your lives!"

"Oh no!" Cosmo gasped. "He used to be the ruler of Concurrent Skies. Looks like Cynder corrupted him somehow!"

"Come on, guys," Troy cried. "We'd better take him out!"

"Wait, let me help you!" Orion struggled to get up but he fell back down with a painful cry.

"Thanks, but you'd be better off staying here," Troy replied. "Sparx, stay with him!"

"Finally, something I can do," Sparx replied.

The group charged towards the Electric King, who drew out a black sword and shield. Troy drew out his own sword and swung it forward but the King blocked the blow with his shield. Then he swung his other arm out and knocked Troy into the doors. Spyro and Cosmo then leapt up to attack only to be smashed backwards again.

Troy struggled to his feet. "Hold on, you two," he called out. "I'm coming!"

Just then a faint voice called from behind the doors. "Troy, is that you?"

Troy gasped in amazement. "Astral, you're alive! Where are you?"

"I'm trapped in this tower," she replied. "Help me before the King gets back!"

With renewed strength, Troy pushed the doors open and dashed inside. And there, chained to the floor, was Astral! He then noticed the great gash on her back leg. "You're hurt…"

"Yeah, you can blame Cynder for that." Astral looked up with tears in her eyes. "Oh Troy, I thought you'd forgotten me."

"No way," Troy said. "We're a team. I wouldn't get far without you."

Astral's smile grew wider, and then her golden scales began to glow brighter. It was almost dazzling and Troy had to shade his eyes. But then, Spyro, Cosmo and Orion were flung over their heads and crashed into the wall behind them. A roar behind them told them that the Electric King had entered the room.

"Guys!" Troy gasped.

"I'm sorry," Orion groaned. "The King grabbed me and threw me into your friends."

"We can't defeat him," Cosmo grunted. "The darkness inside him is too strong…"

Astral raised her head and scowled. "Then I think it's time he saw the light..." With that, she opened her mouth… and let loose a powerful beam of energy, brighter than the sun. The Electric King let out a roar of pain as the light swept over his body. Seconds later, his armour caught fire and began to dissolve into ash. When the light faded, the King's body had been completely vaporized.

Troy's mouth dropped open. "What… was… that?"

"That was the Solaris element," Astral said smugly as her scales faded back to normal. "It's the rarest and most powerful element of all. It's only released when the owner's joy and hope are at an all time high. When you came and rescued me, my hopes went so high the power was unlocked."

"Well, let's get you out of here," Cosmo stated. Then he used a Psychic Beam to unlock the chains round Astral's neck and legs.

Once free, Spyro gasped in shock. "Astral, what happened to your leg?"

"It was Cynder," Astral told them. "She cut me with her tail-blade, then collected my blood in a small vial before leaving me to die at the hands of that horrible Electric King."

"I knew it," Cosmo cried out. "She _was _carrying something in her claws! But what did she need it for?"

"She said she needed it to release someone called the Dark Lord from the portal, as well as the Dark Master."

"Who is this Dark Lord?" Orion asked. "I heard the Apes mention the Dark Master, but nothing about the Dark Lord."

"I have no idea," Troy admitted. "But whoever they are, it can't be good for the world."

"Hey, guys," Sparx called out. "There's an elevator over here. I think it goes all the way to the top."

"Ignitus must be up there," Spyro reasoned. "Let's go."

"You and Troy go ahead," Cosmo said. "I'll stay with Astral and teach her how to use her Psychic element."

"I'll stay here too," Orion added. "I'm too weak to be of any help to you."

"Right," Troy said. "While we're gone, I want you, Astral and Cosmo to lead the humans to safety. Come on, Spyro, let's go save Ignitus."

And they set off up the elevator towards the roof.

* * *

><p><strong>And here ends the chapter.<strong>

**Next time, Spyro and Troy face up to Cynder and learn an incredible secret.**

**So until then….**


	15. Cynder's Secret

**Well, this is it. Chapter 14 and the final battle begins!**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, just my OC's.**

**So now… here we go!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 14: Cynder's Secret<p>

The elevator ride took longer than Troy and Spyro thought, because Apes attacked them on almost every level. They had to take them out and smash the crystals holding the lift down. But eventually they reached the top of the tower. And there they found Ignitus, trapped in a high cage with a red crystal draining his energy nearby.

As they approached Ignitus, Sparx glanced around nervously. "Guys?" he muttered. "Um, guys..?"

"What?" Spyro asked.

"I don't like this," Sparx replied. "It feels like she's baiting us, I'm getting smarter."

Ignitus raised his head weakly and spotted the two. "Spyro… Troy…" he groaned. "Destroy the crystal… quickly!"

"Let's get him out of here before Cynder gets back," Troy cried.

He and Spyro dashed towards the crystal, but just then, a large black figure swooped down in front of them and bared its teeth. "If only it were that easy, little ones," the figure hissed.

"Cynder!" Troy gasped.

"S-S-So b-b-big," Sparx stammered.

"Time you two learned how complicated life can be," Cynder growled, and she raised her head high and smashed it into Troy and Spyro, knocking them back.

As they struggled to their feet, they heard Ignitus' voice. "Run, young ones. Save yourselves!"

"Not this time," Spyro cried out.

"Right," Troy agreed. "Cynder, you have destroyed my home, kidnapped my people and forced them to be your unwilling slaves. You have used the Guardians' power for some unknown purpose, which I don't actually care about, but what's worse is you've tried to kill the only friend I've ever known in the Realms. I have been running from you for too long, but now I'm taking action." He drew out his sword as he finished, "This time, I'm going to fight!"

Cynder chuckled at this. "Brave words, human. Bring it!"

Troy and Spyro charged forward. Cynder swept out her claws, but they jumped clear. Spyro launched a Fire Blast which blinded her for a moment, giving Troy time to jump in and swing his sword down on her wings. But then, Cynder swung her wing forward and knocked Troy off her back and onto the floor. As she turned to face him, Spyro launched an Earth Tornado at her, which held her back, allowing Troy to roll away to safety.

Cynder then turned and swung her tail out, but Troy quickly blocked it with his shield. But then the tail lashed out under his feet and knocked him back. Spyro jumped up to the attack, but Cynder slashed out and sent him flying back into Troy. She stepped over and raised her front feet up, intending to crush them – but suddenly two blue beams of energy shot out and grabbed her legs. As she roared in alarm, Troy turned round and gasped. "Astral! Cosmo!"

Spyro looked too and saw the two dragons firing Psychic Beams to trap Cynder. He also saw a young human on Cosmo's back. "Your brother's here too!"

"What?" Troy cried. "Orion, what are you doing here?"

"Your dragon friends informed me of your destiny," Orion replied. "I thought maybe I could help out too. Cosmo agreed to be my partner and then we came running. Well, flying really, but you know what I mean…"

But then, Cynder pulled her legs back and sent Astral, Cosmo and Orion sprawling to the ground. She let out a cold laugh. "It's so sad it must end this way…"

Spyro and Troy ran forward again and Cynder turned to face them. As she did, Troy skidded to a halt. He had just seen her eyes, but they weren't entirely cold and fierce like he'd seen in the Apes' eyes. Somewhere in hers, there was a flicker of innocence and youth, and he felt he'd seen it somewhere before… and he saw that Spyro was doing the same.

Cynder swiped out and knocked Troy and Spyro backwards then turned back. "Now, where was I?"

She dived forward and yanked the red crystal from its pedestal, sending Ignitus crashing down to the floor. Then she took off through the overhead window and into the night.

"Does she ever use doors?" Sparx sighed.

Astral, Cosmo and Orion ran up to where Spyro and Troy lay, and Ignitus limped over too. As Spyro got to his feet, he looked up at his mentor. "There was something in her eyes, Ignitus… something familiar…"

"I saw it, too," Troy agreed, standing up. "I felt there was something… not quite as evil as the Apes."

"There should be, Troy," Ignitus said. "Spyro and Cynder share more than you know." He bowed his head and sighed. "It's time I told you the truth… all of it. You see, after I took Spyro's egg to the Silver River and sent Astral to safety, I returned to the Grotto to find utter chaos… the other Guardians had been overrun and all the other eggs had been smashed by the Dark Master's forces – all except one. You see, the Dark Master was torn. He wanted to destroy all the eggs to prevent the birth of the purple dragon, but he also needed a dragon."

"Why would he need a dragon?" Astral asked.

"Because, Astral, only one born in the Year of the Dragon can open the portal that served as the Dark Master's prison."

"You mean that egg was… Cynder?" Troy realized.

"I'm afraid so."

"But I don't understand," Spyro said. "If we come from the same place, why is she so… so…?"

"Evil?" Cosmo asked.

"Monstrous?" Orion added.

"Big?" Astral included.

"Sexy?" Sparx added. "Oops, did I say that?"

"Because, Spyro," Ignitus replied sadly, "after the night of the raid, she was… corrupted by the Dark Master's poisonous powers… twisted by his evil lore. She's become the Dark Master's monster."

"But why?" asked Spyro, his voice cracking. "What does this Dark Master want?"

"He wants to be free from the portal at Convexity," the Fire Guardian replied, "to wreak havoc across the Realms. And if Cynder gets there, he just might succeed."

"Master," Astral then said. "Cynder said she needed my blood to a greater prison inside the portal and release someone called the Dark Lord. What did she mean by that?"

Ignitus looked shocked for a moment, but before he could answer, a loud crack of thunder broke out and suddenly a large white portal appeared in the sky. "I'm afraid we might be too late," he yelled.

"No," Spyro cried angrily. "I refuse to give up. I'm going to stop Cynder _and _the Dark Master!"

"Whoa, wait," Sparx said. "You heard the dragon, Spyro. He said, too late, we'll get 'em next time. Come on, champs, you did a great job and let's take five."

"Sparx, if the Dark Master and the Dark Lord get out of that portal," Troy argued, "there might not be a next time!"

"Troy's right," Astral agreed. "We're going in there and ending it… RIGHT NOW!"

"Okay," Ignitus sighed. "Okay, Astral, you're right. At the very least, you, Troy and Spyro have to try." A grim look crossed his face as he continued, "If the Dark Master and the Dark Lord escape, a shadow will fall over the land, and who knows what will happen."

"Go, you guys," Cosmo said. "Orion and I will take Ignitus and the other humans back to the Temple."

As Troy climbed on to Astral's back, Orion called out, "Hey Troy, come back alive, would you?"

And with that, Spyro, Sparx, Troy and Astral took off and flew towards the portal. As the others prepared to leave, Ignitus looked into the sky and murmured, "May the Ancestors look after you… May they look after us all."

* * *

><p><strong>Phew… what an exciting chapter!<strong>

**So next time, off to Convexity and the final battle!**

**Until then…**


	16. Conflict on Convexity

**Here we go… Chapter 15 and the battle's conclusion!**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, just my OC's.**

**So now… let's continue.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 15: Conflict on Convexity<p>

Once through the portal, Spyro, Sparx, Troy and Astral flew on into a world of darkness and mystery. Soon they spotted a rocky podium overlooking the place. As they flew down to land, Troy asked Astral, "Don't suppose you know about this place, do you?"

"I have heard stories," Astral replied. "They say Convexity acts as a gateway between our world and the Dark Realms beyond. We must stop Cynder before she inserts the final crystal and activates the portal, freeing the Dark Master."

They landed and looked around. They could see several more podiums and a few giant floating jellyfish. At that moment, a monstrous creature that looked like a giant shelled squid floated right past the podium.

Sparx gasped. "Now I've seen everything…"

"Yeah, if we don't hurry, I've a feeling you're going to see a whole lot more," Spyro said impatiently. "Come on."

"Well, there's Cynder now," Troy said, pointing to a large platform. The dragons looked and saw the black dragonelle flying around a raised building that was glowing with dark energy. "We'd better hurry."

The group set off across the podiums and glowing jellyfish to reach the main platform. But as they drew near, Cynder landed and placed the red crystal on the base of the portal and then a beam of light shot out and took the vial of blood into the portal. She smiled as the energy glowed brighter. "My Masters return…"

"We're too late!" Spyro cried as they arrived.

Cynder turned and scowled. "Hmph, persistent little fellows, aren't you? This is where it really ends…"

"Bring it!" Astral cried as she and Spyro got into battle poses.

"We're ready," Troy agreed, unsheathing his sword.

"No mercy this time," Cynder growled, spreading her wings.

"I can't watch this," Sparx groaned as he flew to a safe distance.

Cynder made the first move, charging forward and swiping her claws, but Troy ducked away and Spyro and Astral leapt aside. Then Troy dashed forward and smashed his shield into Cynder's face. As she recoiled in anger, the two smaller dragons each launched a Fire Blast at her. She responded by swinging her tail at them and knocking them back.

Troy swung his sword out at Cynder, but she lashed out with her wing and pushed him right towards the edge of the platform. But just as Troy was about to go over, Astral fired a Psychic Beam at him and pulled him to safety. Spyro then launched an Electric Stream at Cynder, but she took into the air to dodge it.

"Oh no, you don't!" Troy yelled, leaping onto Astral's back. "Let's get her!"

Astral took to the air and set off in pursuit. As they caught up to Cynder, she turned and launched a stream of shadowy fire at them, but Astral barrel-rolled past it and then shot a volley of Razor Leaves which tore through Cynder's wings. As she screamed in pain, Astral flew faster and soon drew up alongside her, allowing Troy to slash at the larger dragoness' side with his sword.

With a screech of pain, Cynder landed back on the ground. Astral quickly fired a Water Stream over her and Spyro shot some Ice Shards which froze the water and trapped Cynder. Troy leapt off Astral's saddle and landed on Cynder's back, slashing her neck. With a roar, she flapped her wings hard, knocking Troy off her back and smashing free of the ice. She tried to take off again, but Astral caught her with a Vine Crush which wrapped round her legs, while Spyro used Earth Shot to weaken her.

"I think we've got her now," Troy cried as Astral landed.

But then, Cynder began to build up a powerful force around her body, and seconds later, she launched a mighty Fury that knocked Troy and the dragons back to the ground.

"That was low," Troy grunted. "She's too strong for us…"

Then he saw that Spyro's body was glowing with the same dark power as the portal was. And then he opened his mouth and launched a stream of purple energy at Cynder, knocking her back.

"Look at that," Astral cried. "We have to help him out."

"But how?" Troy said confused.

"I need positive feelings," she replied as Spyro continued to blast Cynder with his new powers. "I know; Troy, give me a hug…"

"What?"

"Just do it!"

Troy threw his arms around Astral's neck and squeezed and as he did, he felt her body getting warmer and saw her scales glowing again. He looked towards Spyro and saw the little dragon had his eyes closed and was focusing his power. Then he thought he heard Ignitus' voice speaking in his head: _Now, it's time to unleash the true dragon within you…_

And then, Spyro and Astral launched their attacks at the same time. Astral shot out a powerful beam of light that trapped Cynder while Spyro shot out a whole stream of purple energy beams shaped like his head that struck at the corrupted dragoness. Troy watched as Cynder was bombarded in every direction and then, as the light faded and the beams disappeared, she collapsed to the ground.

The portal glowed for a moment and the group watched in amazement as Cynder's body began to shrink until she became a small figure the same size and age as Spyro.

Spyro gasped. "She _is _just like me!"

Troy quickly ran to her side and felt for a pulse. "She's still alive!"

But then, the whole platform started to tremble and Troy felt himself being dragged towards the portal and saw the unconscious Cynder was being pulled too!

"Dudes," Sparx yelled. "We've got to get out of here now!"

"We can't leave Cynder behind," Spyro cried out as he and Astral dug their claws into the rock. "We've got to save her!"

"WHAT?" Sparx spluttered. "Save the beast that's been trying to kill us?"

"Sparx, that wasn't her fault," Astral retorted. "She was being used by the Dark Master!"

At that moment, Troy and Cynder were sucked right into the portal, and Spyro and Astral took off after them.

Inside the portal, it was dark and forbidding. Troy and Cynder were separated and floated off into different sections. On his side, Troy suddenly spotted a large dragon wrapped up in chains and obscured by shadows. "Who are you?"

He floated closer to the dragon, but suddenly a dark shadow shot out from nowhere and knocked Troy back, and at the same time, he heard a sinister voice in his head. _"Do not interfere. The time is not right…"_

As Troy floated away from the dragon, he felt claws digging into his sides. He looked up and saw Astral had caught him and was now flying back towards the portal. He then saw Spyro flying past, carrying Cynder in his claws. Seconds later, they all flew back into Convexity.

"Now we can go," Spyro called to Sparx.

"Right behind you buddy," the dragonfly buzzed as he set off after the group.

Soon, they were heading back through the portal towards their world, flying against the increased suction of the prison. They flew faster and faster, avoiding the podiums that zoomed past them. Then they saw the portal open and flew through it, but as it closed, the suction cut out and they suddenly zipped forward, lost control and plummeted through the sky and into the woods. Astral and Spyro spread their wings to slow down, but it was too late and they crashed to the ground.

Winded and dazed, Troy rolled onto his back and glanced up at the sky. He saw several winged figures flying towards them, and as he lost consciousness, he heard Sparx whimper beside him, "Mommy, fluff my pillow…?"

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><p><strong>And I'll stop there.<strong>

**Next time, the final scene.**


	17. Happy Reunions

**So now here we are at the final scene.**

**DISCLAIMER: This has nothing to do with **_**Eragon, How To Train Your Dragon, Dragon Booster**_** or any other stories involving people who ride dragons. Also I do not own Spyro, just my OC's.**

**So let's wrap this up.**

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><p>Chapter 16: Happy Reunions<p>

When Troy came to, he found he was back at the Temple's Grotto. His armour and sword had been removed and his wounds were dressed in bandages. As he sat up, he heard a voice ring out, "Hey everyone, he's awake!"

At once a crowd of humans came running in, cheering and shouting. Among them, Troy recognized Argos, Cassandra and Orion. Cassandra gave her son a small dish of water which he gratefully took. He took a few sips and then spoke, "What happened? How did I get here?"

"Thank your brother," Argos replied. "When he, Cosmo and Ignitus got back, he insisted we sent out a search party to find you. We saw you fall out of the portal and took you back to the Temple."

"So that's what I saw," Troy muttered. Then he gasped. "The dragons, where are they?"

"They're in the Dojo," Orion said. "If you're able to walk, I can take you to them."

Troy got shakily to his feet and followed his brother out to the Dojo. There he saw the Guardians and younger dragons gathered in a circle. He made his way through the crowd to where Spyro, Astral and Cynder were. The smaller dragoness was awake and slightly embarrassed to see the young human.

"Are you ok?" Troy asked.

"Yes," she sighed in a meek voice. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to you and to your friends…"

"Hey, it's alright," he smiled. "You were being controlled by the Dark Master; it wasn't your fault. All I have to say is… I forgive you."

"What?" Sparx cried out. "After she tried to kill us, you're forgiving her? You're crazy!"

"Word of advice," Troy hissed. "Don't listen to Sparx."

Just then, two loud groans were heard. Troy turned to see that Spyro and Astral were waking up. "Hey, look who's back from the dead," he cried.

Ignitus let out a weak smile. "Feeling better, Spyro and Astral?"

"Not really, Ignitus," Spyro croaked. "That battle drained every last bit of my strength."

"Mine too," Astral groaned. "I can hardly even lift my head."

"Yes, it will take some time for your powers to return," the Fire Guardian replied, "but they will in time, young dragons, they will in time." Then he turned to the black dragoness. "Cynder, ever since I failed the night of the raid, I've dreamt of this day…"

"It wasn't just you, Ignitus," Volteer argued. "We all failed." Cyril and Terrador nodded in agreement.

"Be that as it may," Ignitus continued, "we're together again now, thanks to Spyro, Astral and Troy. Well done, young ones."

The younger dragons cheered for the little group.

"Thanks, Ignitus," Spyro said bowing his head.

"I said I wouldn't let you down, Master," Astral added.

"Glad to be of help," Troy agreed, "but we still don't know what happened to the Dark Master or if the Dark Lord managed to get out…"

"No matter, Troy," Terrador said. "There will be time to talk of the Dark Master and the Dark Lord later… now, we should be grateful for the success of you, Spyro and Astral."

"Their success?" Sparx blurted out. "Hey, what about me? Just because a bunch of weird stuff doesn't come out of my mouth or I can't use a weapon of some sorts, doesn't mean I didn't help, you know."

"Yeah, you were a big help, Sparx," Spyro agreed. "No doubt about it."

"Yeah, but just for the record," Astral added, "a lot of weird stuff does come out of that little mouth of yours."

"What the heck does that mean?" Sparx shouted. Then he started buzzing around the crowd, moaning, "You know I don't need this. I could have stayed with the… llama people, whatever, where I was appreciated, but no. No, I decided to help the poor, helpless dragons rid the world of evil. What a mistake that was, cause I get no thanks, no respect, no love, no credit…"

"My goodness," Troy chuckled. "And I thought Volteer talked a lot!"

The dragons all burst out laughing as Sparx continued, "I left home too, you know. I don't know if you've noticed, but things are a lot bigger to me than they are to you, and did I back away? Uh-uh, na, na, na. Why? Cause I've got moxy, I'm a tough cookie, I've got class-"he broke off with a cough. "I've got a… little frog in my throat. As I was saying, on Tall Plains, they knew a good thing when they saw it, they recognized the value of a quality dragonfly like me, but here I get nothing, not even a thanks, hey how're you doing, good let me buy you a drink. I should go back to the swamp; Mom will make it all good… Mommy always does…"

By the time Sparx had finished complaining, the dragons and humans had all gone to other duties. Ignitus performed the ceremony for Orion and two other humans, a young archer named Stellan and a young woman about Troy's age named Veronica, pairing them with Orion, Banshee and Telsa respectively. Argos and Cassandra then came forward to give Troy an idea; since the village Elders were killed in the Apes' invasion, they needed someone to lead them when the time was right. Troy accepted the task as leader.

As night fell, the alliance celebrated their victory against evil. Everyone was happy and joyful, but soon, Spyro and Troy left the party, went out onto the balcony and looked out into the stars. Cynder and Astral soon joined them.

"Is everything alright?" Astral asked.

"We're just keeping a lookout for something," Troy replied.

"See anything?" Cynder asked.

"No," said Spyro, shaking his head, "but I've got a bad feeling."

"Me too," she said.

The group looked out into the night, all aware that the danger was far from over… that if anything, it had only just begun…

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><p><strong>Finally finished! What an exciting story.<strong>

**My thanks go out to all the people who reviewed my story, especially to D. J. Scales for the ideas for Astral.**

**Stay tuned for the next part of my tale: **_**Legend of Spyro and the Riders: The Eternal Night**_


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